


Open the Memory Cage

by Kiloueka



Series: Open the Memory Cage [1]
Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: ALL THE SIN_0X.txt CHAPTERS ARE PURE SMUT, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ending [E], F/M, Fix-It, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Game, Spoilers, but the pure smut is contained for people who don't want it scattered throughout the actual story, but the rest is basically rated [T], there's suggestive bits in most of them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2018-10-24 20:54:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 96,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10749627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiloueka/pseuds/Kiloueka
Summary: A post [E] continuation of Nier: Automata. In which I stare the god that is Yoko Taro in the eye and say "Fuck you, fuck the canon, I'm bringing everyone back and making my favorite sad androids happy, even if it kills me." I stick as close to the in-canon logic and backstories as possible, so if you haven't read all the post [E] materials, do so now before reading this.The series focuses on 2B and 9S and how their relationship grows as they help each other recover from all of the trauma they've faced in the past. Their battles are not over as they face old demons and new disasters, but since they have each other, they can face them all, together. 2B slowly comes out of her shell, and she and 9S both begin to make new friends, and fight tooth and claw to save the old ones.I've done a big revamp of my first chapter recently to bring it up to speed with the concert scripts. So if you've read chapter one long ago, please reread chapters 1-3, as I've split it into 3 new chapters to fit with the new canon.Check out myto do listfor future chapters and one-shots.





	1. Reawakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set right at the end of concert script 5 as 9S finally wakes up. 2B is unable to stop her system from shutting down and collapses on him. He has to think fast and hack into her to save her. He just woke up after being dead for over a month and is probably super confused about everything. Can he save her in time?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I REDID THE FIRST CHAPTER TO FIT THE NEW CANON AND SPLIT IT INTO 3.  
> The rest of the chapters should progress as normal.
> 
>  
> 
> [Original version of chapter 1 can be found here.](https://nierly-amazing.tumblr.com/post/160038650870/open-the-memory-cage)

_This can't be. This can't be. Nothing's working. Why isn't anything working?_

2B sat over the empty shell of the most important person in the world to her. She had tried everything, searched everywhere for a way to bring him back. Two weeks went by as she slowly let her body fall apart, as finding a cure for him became more important to her than her own self preservation.

"No, 9S, this can't... We didn't even get to say goodbye, and yet... why... why am I the only one...!" She let her head drop and the tears fall over his lifeless body.

"Abnormal signal detected from Black Box." Warned Pod 042.

"I don't care anymore! I don't...!"

"Alert: Strange vibrations emanating from Black Box. Temperature rising." _Shut up._

"Alert: Errors detected in unit's functionality. FFCS offline. NFCS offline. Initiating short-range radio-wave camouflage."  _I don't care, let them see me._

"Unit 2B's vital signs are deteriorating. Alert: Immense damage to unit 2B's life preservation functionality."  _Good._

"Proposal: Body adjustment and maintenance in a safe location urgently required."  _No..._

Pod 153's voice cut through the repeated warnings of 042. "Report: Abnormal vibrations detected from Black Box. Temperature rising." _Just shut up._

"This unit has already reported on the abnormal situation."

"Negative: The vibrations are not originating from unit 2B, but instead from unit 9S."  _What?_  Her head shot back up and she leaned over him in hopes of seeing... hearing some sort of signs of life.

"Negative: Unit 9S's personal data has already been terminated. Reboot is realistically impossible." Impossible. But there it was, the sign she was looking for. Her eyes fixated on the slow rise and fall of his chest as his initial gasp of air caught her attention.

"Nnngh..." He groaned and twisted his body before slowly opening his eyes.

"N-Nine...s..." She choked back a sob and did her best to smile in her weakened state.

"Where... am I...?" He shifted his head weakly and his eyes barely focused on her. "2B, what did I...?"

"I'm so glad... I'm so glad you're..." 9S was alive, however, the shutdown of her systems continued. Her vision grew blurry, her muscles weakened, and her consciousness slowly slipped away. N-no. No no no. "I ca- I can't... stop..." The shaky arms holding her up gave away and she collapsed on top of him.

* * *

"Wha- 2B?" His head spun as the weight of her body forced the air from his lungs. "2B? Is that... Are you? …" He looked around frantically for clues, then his focus finally honed in on 2B's pod still barking out alerts. "P-pod! What's going on?"

Pod 153 chimed in. "Unit 2B vitals are all deteriorating rapidly. Reason: unknown. However, the deterioration began upon 2B receiving the information that Unit 9S's personal data was lost, it is likely that had some impact on unit 2B's emotional state. Proposal: Hack into Unit 2B to manually reset her vitals and restart."

"Personal data... but I'm..." He shook his head clear.  _No, no time to figure this out, I have to move now!_

With no hesitation, he hacked into 2B to assess the damage. What he saw was nearly unrecognizable; it looked nothing like a normal hacking space, nor did it look like the hacking space of all the poorly-made copies the machines made and sent to kill him. Was this really 2B?

The entire area was filled with a thick static that let out a constant, almost deafening roar. Huge swatches were almost completely dark and processes that were meant to be kept separate mixed throughout the entire area.

_Shit, what's going on? Shit shit. Ok, calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. I need to..._  He rushed through her data and found the code that ran her black box. Ok, ok this is fine, if I just... AAUGH. He let out a silent scream as an unknown pain shot through him. He could feel his physical body convulse and an urge to vomit hit him as a huge rush of information flowed into his mind.

A memory?

> "People who know me well usually call me Nines so..."
> 
> A pang of guilt and longing shot through her chest, but the rushing wind on the roller coaster helped keep it from showing. "Oh."
> 
> "So what do you think?"
> 
> _Why do you... how do you remember these things?_  "Of?" _Is this my punishment for giving you that name when I had no right to get so close to you?_
> 
> "I mean, if you wanna call me Nines, it's totally ok." He smiled softly at her, despite struggling to stay on as the coaster shot through a horde of enemies.
> 
> She used the distraction of the surrounding machines to compose herself, but all she wanted to do was accept and call him Nines again and again and again. "I'm good."
> 
> "Oh... Um... all right."

_Hnggh... what the hell...?_  9S turned around to see a memory had randomly floated up behind him in the chaos. It was unlike any memory he has ever seen before. It was warped and cracked and had... thorns? What looked like thorns were sticking out of every surface of it. And... pain, there was so much pain leaking out of them, he could feel it wash through his body just being near them. His eyes focused on the memories nearby. Most of them were in similar states; covered in a dense layer of painful thorns that threatened to destroy anyone who attempted to view them.

_No. No. Gotta hurry, I'll figure this out later. Later!_  He turned his attention back to the code that lay in front of him.

"Ok. Ok. I just need to enter this here and it should kickstart her cooling device to keep the Black Box from overheating any more." He punched in the code and waited until he could hear the faint hum of a cooling fan through the noise. "Ok ok, now I- Aagh!" Another wave of pain shot through him as another memory invaded his mind.

> "Nghh.. 2B... wh-why?" 9S stumbled back and collapsed on the ground. 2B's pure white sword protruded from his chest and blood spilled from the wound faster than any amount of staunching gel could hope to stop. "It... it hurts..."
> 
> "You... accessed confidential information... I was... I was ordered to. I had to... terminate..." Agonizing pain was all she felt as she took in the sorry sight of the dying scanner in front of her. Pain, longing, wishing that could be her on the ground instead of him.
> 
> 9S gripped the sword in his chest and desperately tried to pull it out but his fingers slipped on the slick blood coating the blade. His movements slowed, and soon he was grasping weakly at the air. "But I thought... I th-th..." The light faded from his eyes and his hand fell as his body went still.
> 
> 2B collapsed on the ground next to him and wrapped her fingers around the blade. She squeezed hard and the sharp metal dug into her hand, slicing through her gloves and layers of artificial flesh to expose the metal skeleton beneath. She yanked the sword out and tossed it behind her, flinching as the metal clattered loudly against the stone.
> 
> "I.. I can't... keep." Her arms reached out against her will and she found herself cupping his lifeless face in her hands. The blood from her wound dripped down his cheek before splashing off into the dirt and mixing with the large pool of blood that puddled beneath him.
> 
> She doubled over him and let out a scream like no other. It was as if all the emotions she had bottled up over the years were trying to force their way out of her mouth all at once. The world began to spin and...

_don't... I don't remember this... was this from... before?_  A _gh no. Don't let them distract you._  He kept flipping through the code frantically and righting any abnormalities and-

_Nghh... again._  Another wave hit him, stronger and faster than the first, he couldn't pull back, he could only sit and watch as it played before his eyes.

> "9S!" _No, no not again._ 2B screamed and ran to catch him as his legs shook and gave way beneath him. Cracks appeared on his skin and worked their way along his body. She could see the musculature beneath them slowly being exposed and watched as blood began pouring out as the cracks got wider.
> 
> "I saw... you got the orders. I didn't want you to..."
> 
> "9S... Nines... I..." She blinked and blinked, trying to hold back tears but she utterly failed.
> 
> "2B it's ok..." 9S said through ragged breaths. "I'm not... really going to die... I'll see... you... to...mor...row..." His words trailed off as his voice functionality corrupted from the self-inflicted virus.
> 
> 2B sat over him; tears streaming from her eyes as she gripped him tightly in her arms. His voice was gone, but he was still barely alive and he looked at her with a soft, loving gaze; a small smile spread across his face. His eyes said more than his spoken words ever could articulate. _It's ok 2B. It'll all be ok._
> 
> The virus continued to spread and it streaked across his face. Bits of skin cracked and fell away and the light from his eyes slowly faded, but the smile never did.
> 
> "Black box signal for unit 9S offline. Death confirmed."
> 
> "Shut up Pod." 2B snapped. She didn't budge from her spot and began tenderly stroking his hair while slowly breaking down inside. She doubled over and screamed in a mix of pain and grief, as the scene that she just witnessed replayed in her mind.
> 
> The area around her faded from view as the memory filled her entire field of vision.  _Replay_. The memory warped slightly and the sound became faintly distorted.  _Replay_. Bits of data poked out unnaturally from the sides of the file.  _Replay_. The data twisted and hardened into sharp projections.  _Replay_. The thorns stabbed into her mind and caused her body to jolt and writhe in pain. _Replay. Again. Replay. Again._
> 
> "What... is this...? It hurts... hha hahahh... I... I deserve this... Nines... I'm..."

2B... 2B please." He panted when the memory faded. "Can you hear me? I don't care that you've killed me before. I don't care. I don't care! Being with you... it was like I had a family, I was so alone. Then you came along, and you were like a light in the dark. And I was so... happy.

"So please 2B. I need you to rghh..." Another memory shot through him, but he forced himself to keep talking. "... to... to help me and ghhh..." Yet another; now two conflicting memories played at the same time and his head felt like it was going to split open. "... p-please. Keep the memories back... so I can... fix this..."

"I'm t-try...ing" Her voice called out faintly through the static.

"You can... nghh... do this. I-I know the memories hurt... but... we can... we can talk about all this later, ok?"

He rushed to reactivate her lung functionality, dodging memories as best he could. Androids could last a lot longer than any biological organisms without oxygen, but even they had their limits. Since 2B had an abnormal shut down, her body wasn't able to go into oxygen preservation mode, which would normally be used to keep them alive indefinitely. He had to get it done fast.

_Shit..._  He thought as another memory grazed his back. Can't dodge and work at the same time. They kept coming, crowding over him as he kept trying to fight through it to keep working. The static was growing louder and it felt as if his entire being was about to be crushed under some immense pressure.

"2... 2B!" He gasped. "Please!"

All of a sudden the memories froze and he looked up to see a dozens of still images surrounding him. A huge weight was lifted off his chest and he coughed and sputtered as his mind overcame the shock. He shook himself and wasted no time getting to work again. Just one more thing to enter... There. He could feel 2B's body gasp for air and her breathing slowly even out. The images surrounding him slowly started to retreat and file back to where they were supposed to be stored.

"2B... was that?"

"...I did... it..."

"Oh thank god. You did great. Ok I'm going to work on your Black Box again," he said as he rushed back to where the code was stored, "there's too much power coming out of it right now and that might be why your circuits are all scrambled."

"O...k..."

"It's ok 2B. It's ok, I got this and I won't fail you again." He turned the power output down and rerouted some of the energy into emergency preservation mode.  _Never. Never. Never. I can't ever lose you again. I won't let this chance slip away._  The static quieted down significantly and he could feel the pressure on his mind being slowly released.

"Ok I'm going to restore your nanomachine count, it looks like a bunch of them were destroyed when your Black Box overheated, but I can boost internal production for a while."

"Nines..." Her words were noticeably clearer now.

Nines. "Y-yes 2B?"

"Your voice... It's so calming."

He let out a choked sob as her words hit him. "2B... you're... thank you." He wanted to sit there and replay those words again and again but he shook his head and continued, "B-but compliment me later ok? I can't concentrate when I'm blushing so hard, hhhaha."

He heard a soft rhythmic noise in response to his words. It took him a moment to realize it was a gentle laugh. He felt his nerves calm and he continued his work.

"Nanomachines done."  _This is getting easier._

"Memory storage region repaired."  _Everything's lighting back up now._

"Black box temperature normal."  _We're out of the red-zone now._

"Nervous and sensory system fixed."  _She can feel me hold her now._

"Limb functionality restored."  _She can hold me back now._

"Visual systems repaired."  _She can see me when she opens her eyes._

"FFCS online. NFCS online." _She can... she can fight back and keep herself safe now._

"A-all checks complete."  _She can wake up now._

_She can wake up now._

_She can wake up now._

"Pod. Status report?"

"Unit functionality of Unit 2B moderately below normal. Black box temperature normal. Physical damage in hand regions still detected. Physical damage detected in area surrounding Black Box. However, nanomachine functionality above normal. Predicted completed restoration of circuits surrounding Black Box by nanomachine repair: Four hours and thirty-eight minutes. Proposal: Unit 2B should seek professional medical attention at the nearest medical facility."

"Is it safe to reactivate her?"

"Affirmative."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "2B. I did it... I fixed everything I could this way. I'm going to reactivate your body now and we'll get you some proper medical attention. Hang in there, ok?"

He pulled out of her hacking space and gazed around as he readjusted to his surroundings. 2B was still lying limply over his chest. He shifted his body up with what little strength he had and turned her over so she was facing him. His arm came up behind her knees and he pulled her closer and cradled her as he waited for her system to reboot.

His eyes wandered down to her hands when he remembered what the pod had said earlier. He gasped in shock and his stomach twisted in horror when he saw the state of them. They were in complete tatters. The skin was peeled back on almost every one of her fingers. Dirt and oil had caked on to the metallic skeleton beneath. What was left of her gloves were completely soaked in blood. One finger was even twisted in an unnatural direction.

The rest of her body wasn't in much better condition. Her arms were coated in a thin layer of dirt and bits of her skin were rubbed raw. Her hair had mud and oil caked into it and her headband was torn and nearly falling off. The rest of her clothes were filthy and tattered, She had replaced her stilettos with a pair of combat boots and her skirt with some old, oversized pants; they didn't offer much protection though as the knees were worn through, exposing bloodied skin to the elements. The feathers on her sleeves had all been ripped off and thrown away.

_What_ the hell happened _?_  He didn't have much more time to think about it as he heard a soft groan escape from 2B's lips as she weakly shifted her body around in his arms.

"2B... 2B!" He called out. "2B can you hear me?"

* * *

"...B..."

_Ngh... It hurts._  A dull throb worked its way through her as her system slowly came back online. Her core of her body burned but everything else was near freezing.

"2B..."

_That voice..._  She began to focus on a gentle feeling of warmth against her arm and behind her knees.

"2B can you hear me?"

_Nines... you..._  More subtle feelings came into focus. She felt her body being gently shaken. Warm drops of liquid splashed on her face as the trembling increased. Tears?

"2B... I'm here. Everything's gonna be all right now."

_Oh... I remember now._  Her ears could now pick up soft sobs coming from 9S as his body faintly trembled as he held her. Her motor functions were coming back online and she shifted weakly in his arms.

"N... Nines..."

"Yes! Yes 2B! It's me, Nines! Please wake up!"

Her lids were heavy, but she forced them open, agonizingly slowly; a swirl of colors hit her eyes as they adjusted to the scene around her. She groaned and looked up.

"Nines..." She smiled softly as his crying face slowly came into focus.

"2B..." He sobbed. "I'm so glad... I'm so glad you're..."

"Nines..." She had so many things to say, so many things to tell him, but all she could get out at the moment was his name.

"Hahhah... Say it again 2B."

"Hmm..." She smiled. "Nines..."

He let out another sob and a weak laugh. "Again."

"Nines..." She lifted her trembling arm up and brought it to his face.

"...Again."

"Nines..." She hesitated slightly, would her bloody, damaged hand bother him? She didn't have long to worry as his own hand came up and very gently pressed hers against his cheek. He smiled and leaned against it, not caring one bit that the mud and grime were tarring his soft face.

"...Again..." His voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Nines..."

"...Again."

"Nines..."

"2B. Hahah hah. I have so much I want to say to you."

"Me too." She turned and buried her face in his chest. "I'm so sorry. For everything."

"2B don't. Don't ever apologize." He sobbed. "You're here now and that's all that matters to me."

2B could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and immediately get drawn away by the soft velvet of his coat. She wrapped her arms around his torso as best she could and let her bottled emotions finally flow free. She cried, and cried, and he joined in moments later; stroking her hair and sobbing nonsensical things. They went on, and on, until their voices became hoarse and their bodies no longer produced tears.

"2B?" He whispered after an impossibly long time.

"Nines?" She sat up and leaned back from him to look him in the eyes. He took her tattered hands in his and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on them. He gazed back up and smiled; such a gentle and genuine smile shone through the stain of tears on his face.

"Come on. Let's go home."


	2. Repair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2B is not out of the woods yet. She still suffered a lot of physical damage from working so hard to revive 9S as well as the incredible strain her near shutdown put on her. 9S stays by her side to tend to her wounds and help her recover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I REDID THE FIRST CHAPTER TO FIT THE NEW CANON AND SPLIT IT INTO 3.  
> The rest of the chapters should progress as normal.
> 
> [Original version of chapter 1 can be found here.](https://nierly-amazing.tumblr.com/post/160038650870/open-the-memory-cage)

“Come on, pick up, pick up.” 9S said impatiently as he waited for his pod to contact Anemone.

“This is Anemon-- wait, 9S? You're alive?”

“Yeah, I'm fine, but can you hurry and get a truck out here because...” He angled his pod down towards 2B and her the worrying state she was in. He heard a gasp coming from the other end of the line as Anemone took in the sight.

“Y-yes, I'll free up someone as soon as possible. Send me the co-ordinates and I'll handle the rest. What happened?”

“I'll explain later, just hurry, please.” He closed the channel before Anemone could respond and turned his attention back to 2B.

“Ok, we have help on the way, we just gotta get down from here first off. Pod! Carry 2B down for me and to the nearest road.”

“Understood.” 153 wrapped its ring of light around 2B's body and smoothly transported her off the edge of the building. 9S shakily stood up and steadied himself before grabbing his own pod and leaping off after her.

He stayed by her side, with his hand on her shoulder for comfort as he stumbled along the path towards their pick up point. When they arrived, he took her gingerly in his arms and waited for help to arrive.

“They should be here any minute now 2B.” He assured, stroking his fingers through her hair.

“Mmm...”

“Are the painkillers starting to work now?”

“A little.” 9S had done as much emergency field repair as he could, but the combination of medicine and being jostled about had made her even more exhausted than before. She let out a strained sigh as her head lolled to the side and her eyelids drooped even more.

“2B... you're gonna have to stay awake for me ok? I don't want to risk what might happen if you pass out before we get back to camp.”

“Kay...” She shook her head slightly and looked up into 9S's eyes. He smiled reassuringly, and she reciprocated. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Did anyone tell you...” Her voice trailed off.

“Hmm? 2B?”

“Did anyone tell you you're adorable?”

9S could feel his face heat up and he couldn't keep a embarrassed squeak from escaping his lips. “Hey now 2B, I think the drugs might be getting to your head now.” He teased.

“Its tru-ue. You're cute.”

“Well uh... thank you... but... uh... well... not as cute as you are.”

“Heh.” 2B's head swayed and she stared off into space for a moment before wincing in pain from some unknown injury. 9S called his pod over and pulled up an old short story saved on its drive. He began reading it to her to help distract her from the pain; not wanting to bring up anything heavy at the moment, not in the state she's in.

At last, the rumbling of a motor could be heard in the distance as the Resistance vehicle approached. 9S waved them down and they helped transport 2B to the bed of the truck. He sat with her and held her bandaged hand the entire bumpy ride back; speaking soft words of comfort each time a particularly large jostle caused her to cry out.

At last, the truck pulled in the camp and the medics helped 9S move 2B into their room and gently lay her on the bed. 2B's state had deteriorated once again and she was barely responsive; only responding to 9S in groans or one word replies. She didn't respond to any of the Resistance medics at all, so 9S took this as a good excuse to shoo them out of the room, ignoring their insistence to help out.

“I was the one assigned to handle her maintenance, I know her better than all of you.” He knew he was probably being rude, but didn't quite care at the moment. He didn't want anyone else putting their hands on her now since he could barely deal with seeing them manhandle her as they put her in the back of the truck. He could do this on his own, he wasn't lying when he said he knew her the best.

Reluctantly, the medics left them alone but assured them they'd be on call if the need arised. 9S thanked them and breathed a sigh of relief as they closed the door behind them. He hurried over to 2B's side and took a look at the mess of medical equipment they left for him.

“Not as good as YoRHa standard equipment,” he groaned, “but it'll have to do.”

He got to work, carefully cutting her gloves away and removing the bandages from her hands. He then let them soak in a warm solution to loosen the remaining dirt and grime off them. It took a while, and a lot of careful scrubbing, but he finally got them clean enough to finally wrap them back up. He hated to leave her hands in that state, but the skin grafts that he was making weren't ready just yet, so it'd have to wait.

9S must have had a pained expression on his face as he was bandaging them up again because 2B smiled and brushed one lightly against his cheek.

“It's ok Nines,” she breathed, “it doesn't hurt... I haven't been able... to feel them in days.”

He felt a pang of guilt in his chest. On the drive back, the pods had given him a brief summary of what 2B had gone through to revive him. None of them were sure how she did it, but now that he was back and they were both alive and together, it didn't really matter to him at the moment. All he needed to know at that moment was the fastest way to help her recover so she didn't have to suffer any more for him.

“You did all this... you went through all of this... for me?”

“You went through... so much more for my sake...”

“2B... I... I would do it again a thousand times... if it meant I could stay by your side.” He could feel the tears bubbling up again but he blinked them away. He needed to concentrate, he could cry more later when she could wipe his tears away with her healed hands.

“Nines...” She smiled and her eyes slowly closed and her head began nodding off to the side.

“Hang on 2B,” he said, shaking her gently, “just wait a little longer before resting ok? I just want to make sure the nanomachines restore your circuits properly so you can shut down safely.”

“Right.”

“Ok, sorry 2B but I'm going to have to cut off your sleeves now, I can't clean these sores with them on.”

“Mmm... hate that shirt any..way...”

_I think it looks pretty on you... Tell her that 9S._ “I think... well, I can get you a nice t-shirt to replace it, how about that?” He took the shears and began snipping away at the thick velvet, taking care not to touch any of her wounds.

“I like... that.” She smiled.

Her sleeve fell away and he surveyed the damage and cringed. The skin had worn away in several places and blood was oozing from where the staunching gel had started to crack and fall away.

“How did this happen?” He whispered.

She was quiet for a second, thinking. “Not sure...” She finally responded. “While digging? Maybe.”

“Hmm... In any case, they probably look worse than they are, it should be fine just to clean and dress them and the skin will grow back on its own.”

He worked quickly, yet skillfully as he chattered away to 2B to help keep her awake. She smiled dreamily at him the entire time, occasionally flinching at the pain and being met with profuse apologies.

He finished patching up her arms and moved down to her legs to work on them next.

“Oh... uh... 2B I might have to uh... remove your pants in order to get everything. Some of these are pretty high up your thigh.”

“It's kay...”

“Are you sure? L-like, if you're uncomfortable I can ask--”  
“Don't mind, Nines. You've... seen it before... when my skirt... and before...”

“R-right, yeah. Sorry...” It still felt weird to him, so he grabbed a towel and draped it over her to give her some privacy before undoing her belt and slipping her torn jeans off carefully.

The injuries on her legs looked the same as the ones on her arms, giving him some semblance of relief as he got to work and quickly patched them all up. He could feel his pulse rate rise as he cleaned the ones near her hips and nervously kept his eyes peeled as far away as he could.

He could tell she was trying to stay strong and hide the pain this time, but the trembling in her body each time he went over a sore with the wash cloth gave it away. He did his best to be gentler, but there was only so much he could do.

Her eyes never left him as he worked, it made him a bit nervous to be honest, but whenever he glanced over and smiled, she would flash a soft smile back. The gesture would calm him back down significantly and he'd continue on with his work.

“Ok. I'm gonna have to get your shirt too... lemme grab a gown from the med tent hang on.” He rushed out and came back with a sky blue one and kneeled beside her. “Look, I got one that matches your eyes!”

2B smiled and laughed softly. “Pretty.”

“Yeah, they are... A-anyway, can you sit up for a bit so I can get this on you?”

“Mmm...” 2B groaned as she strained her body forward. 9S slipped his hands behind her back and helped her up. He kept one hand on her shoulder to steady her as he began cutting away at the remaining fabric of her shirt. He threw the gown over her before the cloth fell away and pulled the shirt off from under it.

An uncomfortable feeling from worked its way through him as his fingers brushed against the smooth skin of her back. It was almost a feeling of... longing, with a mix of... nostalgia? He wondered that maybe... a past version of himself was able to get closer to her than he has.

2B let out a soft sigh which brought him back to reality and a small gasp escaped his lips. _Haha no way that happened._ He shook his head clear of those thoughts, that wasn't right to be thinking about something like that right now.

He carefully lay 2B back down and pulled the gown over her.

“That should be the last of the sores. How are you feeling now?” He was somewhat glad they were only on her arms and legs and not anywhere else.

“Better.” She mumbled.

“All right, that's good to hear. Hey pod, status on 2B's nanomachine repair.”

“Internal repair in chest region currently at 85%. It is currently safe to allow Unit 2B to enter sleep mode.”

“Oh, good.” He sighed. “Ok 2B, the nanomachines have done enough work and I've taken care of everything that needed immediate attention, so you can rest now. I can... I can stay here and keep an eye on you if you'd like.”

“Mmm... yeah...” She smiled softly and closed her eyes. “Night...”

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep; it was wonder to 9S that she even managed to stay awake on her own that long. He hoped the painkillers kept working so she could sleep soundly through the night.

“Sweet dreams 2B.” He yawned as he suddenly felt incredibly tired now that the adrenaline and anxiety keeping him working for so long was washing out. He knelt down beside her and listened to her rhythmic breathing for a while before his systems went dark and he passed out.

* * *

 

He awoke some unknown time later to a strange feeling on his head. It felt nice. Suddenly, he remembered everything that had happened and he shot bolt upright and yelped.

“Aagh! 2B! I'm... I... huh?” He looked over to see 2B had awoken and was sitting up in bed. She had her hand pulled back to her body and had a worried look on her face.

“Nines I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You were trembling in your sleep and I was worried you were having a nightmare.”

“Huh. Was I?” He looked at her confused for a moment. Flashes of painful memories flitted through his mind, but nothing in particular stood out. “Haha, that shock must have shoved whatever it was far away... Anyway, how are you? Do I need to get you more painkillers? How long was I out? I'm sorry I should have set an alarm! Hang on I'll get--”

“Nines, I'm ok.” She smiled. “You did a great job yesterday and I feel so much better... especially now that you're here. Thank you.” She reached back out and stroked his cheek with her thickly bandaged hands. “Thank you.”

“Oh good,” he sighed, “I'm so glad... Seeing you like that... and for my sake...”

“Nines. Please, don't, for one second, feel bad about what I chose to do to revive you. I would have done so much more if I had to. I couldn't imagine living in a world without you.”

“2B...” He could feel his chest twist with emotion and tears threatened to well up in his eyes. “A-and I would do the same for you. God... those months... those months without you... I was so scared and alone. I saw you die. It hurt, God it hurt so much. Everything was crashing down around us; YoRHa was gone, our friends were corrupted or dead, the machines were going haywire.

“But I knew it would all be ok if I was by your side... Nothing else mattered as long as I got to keep fighting alongside you. But just like that you were gone, and it just... broke something inside me. And it's like everyone around me knew more about what happened than I did yet nobody said anything.” The words began flowing off his tongue faster than the tears from his eyes. 2B sat silently; patiently waiting as he spilled his heart out.

“And A2... A2... I can't forgive her for what she did to you. She fucking... killed you in cold blood and ugh...”

“Nines wait... I... asked her to kill me. I was infected with a logic virus. You didn't... she never told you?”

“Wait... what?!” He gasped in shock and stared at her in disbelief. “No, the bridge collapsed before I could do anything and I woke up two weeks later back here. I didn't see her for another month and... she killed 21O... she was infected too... but she killed her right in front of me... and then said something... wait...” He paused. “2B if you were infected, why didn't you come to me? I could have gotten the virus out!”

“It was progressing too fast Nines. I didn't want you getting infected too so I just went to the shopping mall and then A2 was there. I...” Her voice began to shake. “I've killed you so many times. I just wanted the last thing I did in the world to be to save you.”

“2B... I would have... I wouldn't have cared. I would have tried anyway, I would have figured out sometime somehow. And if not...”

“And that's... that's why I sent you away and didn't contact you. I knew you would have tried anyway and then we both would have died. And I couldn't let that happen, not again.” Tears began streaming down her face. “I'm sorry. If I knew what you would have gone through I would never...”

“No, 2B no...” His voice softened and he felt a pang of guilt for speaking so sharply. “I'm sorry... you did what you thought was the right thing and...” He reached over and brushed his hand across her cheek, wiping her tears away. “And... everything turned out ok in the end right? We're both here now and there's nowhere to go but forward.”

“Yeah...” She sniffed. A weak smile spread across her face and she leaned forward, wincing a bit from the strain, and wrapped her arms around him. He sighed softly and returned the embrace, keeping his grip soft but silently wishing he could squeeze her with all his might.

“Haha... I don't want to let go.”

“Then don't.” She hummed.

“But... Your hands.”

“They can wait a few more moments.”

“Heh... ok.”

9S pulled away after soaking up her embrace for another minute or so and collected everything he needed to keep working. He started with putting fresh bandages on her sores, which were thankfully healing up fast on their own; switching away from any heavy topics to light small talk as he worked.

“All right, that should be it for now.” He said as he pulled up the device that was growing her skin grafts. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, thanks to you.” She smiled.

“Ahh good. Ok so...” He fumbled a bit, trying to find the best way to phrase his next words. “So since YoRHa's gone, and with it, all the data about our bodies... I might have trouble fixing your hands up back to the way they were before. I mean... I'll get them back to perfection, but I'm not sure when.”

“Thank you. I'm sure you can do it.”

“Haha yeah, we 9S models _are_ the best around you know.” He blushed. “A-and, since most of the problems are in your fingers, it should be easy to take a look at the undamaged ones for reference for the damaged ones. The biggest issue is hooking back the nerve endings and that screw in your wrist. For now I can graft the skin on a few of your fingers and they should be fine with just that.”

* * *

 

Over the next few days 9S worked almost non-stop on repairing 2B's damaged hands. He jumped between grafting the skin back on and rewiring the nerves, and searching through his pod's database for whatever he could find that was useful, and getting screws and bolts and whatever else he needed from the piles of YoRHa bodies littering the entire area. After her initial rest after they returned to camp, 2B was able to get up and about, and the two went on short walks around the area together to help her loosen up her muscles and speed up her healing.

They got into the habit of sitting by the pond by the Resistance camp and talking about what went on while the other was gone. It was hard for the both of them to hear what the other went through, but they both agreed it was better in the end to just talk it out. It was very... therapeutic to say the least.

It wasn't much longer before 9S managed to get 2B's hands close to proper working order. He knelt beside her as he undid the bandages one day after running some small errands for the Resistance; marveling at how fast she was healing. He took her hand in his and walked her through a list of exercises to test her motor functions.

“Still limited movement in your left pinky and your grip strength definitely could use improvement.” He said as he carefully massaged her hand, trying to feel what exactly was causing those issues. “But overall, you're well on the road to recovery and pretty soon you'll be sending goliaths flying just like old times!”

“I'm so glad.” She responded, flexing her fingers in front of her face and touching to each one repeatedly. He smiled as he watched her fiddle around with her digits before letting out a loud yawn which hit him out of nowhere.

“Oh. Haha, I didn't realize I was that tired.” He yawned again and stretched, before looking back at 2B and giving her a sleepy smile.

“You should get some rest too, 2B. I'm sure today's work put a lot of strain on you.”

“I feel fine, it didn't hurt, but I could probably use some sleep either way.”

“That's good to hear.” He said as he turned to head to his bed. “Well then, goodnight 2-- wha... 2B?” He turned back to see that she had grabbed onto his hand and had woven her fingers in with his. Her pinky stuck out in a weird angle and he might have thought it funny had he not been in shock in that moment.

“Stay with me...” She whispered with pleading eyes and a soft smile as she shifted towards the wall, gently pulling him with her.

He stared at her in disbelief for a moment, but she didn't let go or tell him she was joking. It's not like she would joke about something like this, and 9S was confused that that thought even popped into his mind in the first place. _She's really..._

A big grin flashed across his face and he nodded excitedly. “Yes... yes of course I will!” Her smile widened as he cautiously slid into bed next to her. He gave her some distance, not knowing how close she really wanted him, but soon her arm came around him and pulled him closer and he found his head pressed against her chest. His face grew red but he soon relaxed as the gentle hum of her black box and the soft beating of her pulse soothed his nerves. After a moment, he brought his arm around her in return, weaving his fingers through her hair and eliciting a soft sigh from her lips.

He felt... safe in her arms and soon he felt his systems shutting down as sleep came to claim him.

* * *

 

“So she didn't even tell you about the virus even up to the very end?” 2B asked as they were sitting shoulder to shoulder at the pond the next day. Their pods lazily bobbed in the water as tiny fish darted around.

“No,” 9S responded, gritting his teeth. “All she did was tell me that you were an... an E-unit and that you hated killing me. My memories are fuzzy and fragmented of that time though because of my own virus, so I'm not sure what else she might have said. But... I remember... I was so angry that she had your face. She killed you and then killed me while looking at me with your eyes.” He gripped his chest where Virtuous Contract had pierced him. “And then, and then there were the clones in the tower too...”

“The... clones?”

He took a deep breath, remembering the thoughts that flashed through his mind during that time, and continued. “The machines... they made 2B copies and sent them to kill me. And I hate... I hate how I reacted, I feel so disgusting. 2B, I'm so sorry for the way I acted... with your copies. All the 2B models I cut down, I hated it so much yet... I also... enjoyed it. I enjoyed slicing through them and dirtying my sword with their blood. I enjoyed hearing the screams and watching them fall and not get back up. I wanted them all to suffer for having the audacity to create cheap copies of you. It was an amazing feeling destroying them, I was happy to be the one to to it because I didn't want anyone else laying a hand on you. But they weren't you... but they were; they looked exactly like you and ughh... I'm... sorry.” He began to cry again as he let his words flow free.

“Nines it's... it's ok.” She looked a bit nervous at his confession, but covered it up with a soft smile. “You went through so much in those months. I can't expect you to have made the best decisions throughout...” She put her arm around him and pulled him close. “Whatever you did in the time I was gone will always be more forgivable than everything I've done to you in the past. So please... forgive yourself. Because I forgive you.”

He sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeve. “2B... you...”

“Nines... you've done so much for me in the past few days... and every time we were together before this.” She placed her almost fully healed hand on his. “I've taken so much from you. I've killed you so many times. I've erased all of your precious memories again and again, and you still treat me with such kindness and understanding. And... now that we're free... I can finally fulfill my promise that I made to you long ago.”

“Your... promise?”

“Hack into me. Look into my memories so I can give back everything I've stolen from you.”

 


	3. Open the Memory Cage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that 2B's hands are mostly healed up, she decides to help 9S regain his memories by showing him hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a suggestive bit in there (and most chapters) but nothing overly smutty (that comes in the SIN_0X.txt chapters).
> 
> BIG NOTE: THIS IS A REWRITE OF THE ORIGINAL FIRST CHAPTER. I wrote the first chapter before Memory Thorns and the concert scripts were out so I wanted to redo it so it fits the new canon. [Original version of chapter 1 can be found here.](https://nierly-amazing.tumblr.com/post/160038650870/open-the-memory-cage)

“2B... are you sure you want to do this?” 9S asked as they settled on their bed back at camp. “When I hacked into you the other day... many of your memories were covered in... thorns? And whenever I touched one, a sharp pain shot through me. And I don't want... I don't want you pulling those memories up if they hurt you like that too.”

“You saw some of my memories?”

“N-not on purpose though!” He blurted before she could continue. “They were floating around and kept crashing into me until you pulled them away and... You... don't remember that?”

“Not... really. I remember you waking up and then everything went dark right after and when I woke back up you were holding me and calling out my name.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway... the thorns... Yes, they hurt me...” She admitted. “I didn't think they would hurt you too if you were viewing them from the outside... but I guess I was wrong. I... don't know what to do about it now.”

“Were you just... not going to tell me about it and just suffer like that the whole time?”

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Nines. I don't care how much it hurts me. I plan on keeping this promise even if it takes me to the brink of death again and again. Plus... I deserve it anyway.”

His chest tightened at those words. “2B... Don't...”

She continued. “Maybe since I'm conscious this time I can focus enough to er... soften the edges for you.”

“Well maybe, but it'll still hurt you though.”

“9S I've already made up my mind about this long ago. My main worry is making it as painless as possible for you. Plus, my earlier memories aren't like that, so if we take this bit by bit, we'll have time to figure out what to do.”

9S let out a long sigh. “All right. But only show me the painless ones today ok?”

“Ok, it's a deal.”

“All right, if you're ready, I'm hacking in.” And with 2B's nod of consent, 9S entered her memory space.

 

> “I'm 9S. The Commander's put me in charge of your maintenance ma'am.”

_Huh, so is this the first time we met? It looks... different than what I remember... I thought I said that in her room, not the hallway... Oh! This is the very first time we met isn't it. It's... huh?_ Suddenly the memory disappeared and was replaced with another.

 

> “Scanners like me usually work alone. I don't usually get a partner. It's kind of fun!”

And another.

 

> “All right then. 2B it is!”
> 
> “2B, I think I saw our targets run that way.”

_Wh-- what's going on?_

 

> “2B, I'm glad they partnered me with you, I get to see more of the world this way.”
> 
> “2B, you'll catch more fish if you try it this way.”
> 
> “2B, we should rest, we've been running around this desert for hours.”

The memories started overlapping and playing at the same time. 9S started getting nervous and tried to pull out of her hacking space but found he was stuck.

“2... 2B!” He called out. “Can you hear me? Are you ok?” No response.

 

> “2B, look at this, I haven't seen the sun this close to the horizon before. It's beautiful.”
> 
> “2B, your visor is coming undone, lemme fix that for you.”
> 
> “2B, whenever I get to spend time with you, it fills my very core with pure light. Thank you.”
> 
> “2B, don't worry, it's just a scratch.”

The thorns returned and started covering most of the memories that were flitting past. 9S could feel his mind being torn at in the same way they did before. He desperately called out to 2B, but was only met with a pained groan coming from her physical body. _She can't control this._

 

> “2B, it's ok, I have our data backed up if anything goes wrong.”
> 
> “2B, you've been awfully cold lately, is there something wrong?”
> 
> “2B, are you ok?”
> 
> “2B, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to see you get hurt again.”
> 
> “2B... It was an honor to fight with you. Truly.”  
>  “2B, what are you doing?”
> 
> “2B, why are you attacking me?”
> 
> “2B, STOP! PLEASE!”
> 
> “Please 2B... I want you... to do this... for me.”

The memories began filling with static and 9S could hear 2B groan and twist around before she finally pulled her head back and gasped, eyes wide with shock, and breathing labored.

“2B are you ok?” He blurted out. “What just happened?”

“I don't know... I'm sorry... I just... got nervous and they all sort of flooded in and I couldn't stop them.” She continued breathing hard and 9S put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close. That seemed to help as she let out a long sigh and her breathing rate slowed as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. “I'm sorry.”

“It's ok. It's not your fault. Just relax and let them come naturally and it should be fine.” He paused. “If I kept holding you like this, do you think it'd help?”

“Heh, even if it didn't help I don't want you to let go.”

9S let out a soft laugh at that. “I can do that. Ok, let's try again when you're ready.”

She took a deep breath and relaxed her muscles. “All right. I think I'm ready now.”

9S smiled and hacked back in.

 

> “I'm 9S. The Commander's put me in charge of your maintenance ma'am.”
> 
> _Another new responsibility._ “Let's head over to the Commander for out assignment.”
> 
> “Er... ok.” He responded nervously, probably expecting a bit more enthusiasm in her greeting.
> 
> They began walking together towards the command center and 9S began talking away about his previous missions and how excited he was finally getting a partner.
> 
> _This one's awful chatty. I suppose I can get used to it. It's better than the constant silence from some of my last partners._
> 
> “Ah 2B.” The commander said as they approached her. “I see you've found your new partner. Are you here for your first assignment together?”
> 
> “Yes commander.”

9S watched as the memories replayed before him. Their first missions together. Getting to know her for the first time ever, and watching as she got to know him. Her slow and gradual warm up to his emotional and chatty nature... The inevitable message from command to eliminate him. He could feel 2B's growing discomfort as they got closer to that moment, but they both pushed through.

He was honestly somewhat surprised that he actually made the first move to fight back. But then again, he didn't have the years of emotions (or whatever it was that caused him to be drawn to her time after time) coursing through his every circuit. When 2B made the final plunge of her sword into his black box, the memory fizzled away and 9S took that as a sign to leave her hacking space.

2B was trembling slightly and squeezed him tighter. “How do you feel, Nines?” She asked nervously.

He wasn't sure what she was referring to when asking that. Like, how does he feel about her? Or in general? Or what? “I-I feel like I'm starting to get to know you all over again. I kinda like it, even if it's hard to watch sometimes.”

She smiled and sighed softly in relief. “I'm glad. I hope I was able to display everything well enough.”

“You did great this time. Thank you. For doing this for me. You have no idea how much this means to me.” 9S hugged her harder and then rocked her back and forth for a while before exhaustion caught up with him. He glanced at the clock on the wall he jumped in shock.

“Whoa! I didn't even realize almost eight hours had passed.”

“Hmm... we did go through a lot of memories today, it makes sense that it took a long time.”

“Well, yeah, still surprising though. We should probably get some rest then. I think Anemone has quite a few errands for us to run tomorrow.”

“Good idea.” 2B stretched out on the bed and patted the mattress beside her. 9S was still in slight disbelief that she was asking this, but he happily snuggled up beside her and purred as her arm snaked around him and pulled him close, Holding him until sleep took over.

* * *

They fell into a routine over the next few days. The mornings consisted of their regular errands for the Resistance; ones that couldn't be over fast enough for 9S. When they finished, they both hurried back to their room and he dove back into 2B's memory banks and soaked up the precious memories she shared.

He had finally figured out what was causing her pinky to stick out and not move and she rewarded his repair with gratuitous back rubs to help ease the tension that grew in his shoulders from sitting for still so many hours. Of course, he was happy to return the favor; greatly enjoying the relaxed sighs that escaped her lips as he worked out the knots in her back.

His anxiety grew as the memories began getting darker and the thorns began to appear, and he could feel her growing discomfort as well. 2B had figured out how to present them so they only caused 9S some mild discomfort when he viewed them. But, despite her assurance that it didn't bother her much, 9S could tell by the way she tensed up at every memory change that the thorns still dug into her mind as sharp as ever. He almost wanted to tell her to stop sharing the ones she hated, to save her the pain of reliving all the trauma she faced, but she continued to assure him that it was fine to keep going and that he deserved the whole truth. So he reluctantly pushed on.

She was right. He needed those memories back, good and bad. The times he died by her hands. The times he fought back. The times they both were drowning in despair and hopelessness about their future. Those were just as important as the times they spent laying on their backs in vast plains, lazily watching the birds go by, musing about what they wanted to do together after the war ended. Their sessions grew shorter as they both needed to recover longer from viewing them. But they pushed on. Eventually, his own memories started to surface, filling in the blanks of what she missed.

* * *

 

When they returned from one of their daily missions, 9S hurriedly ran to their room and flopped down on the bed to decompress and wait patiently for 2B to join him so they could start their session. When she was ready, she climbed in, folding her legs under her and grabbing a pillow to hold in her lap. They linked hands and both leaned forward to press their foreheads together.

“You ready?” He asked.

“Go for it.” She responded.

He hacked in and was met with her now-familiar hacking space. He waited as she pulled a fragment out into the open and brought him inside. They went through a series of mundane memories for the next hour or so. He didn't mind though, even the simple memories of them digging through the sand for old artifacts were a pleasure to watch.

He suddenly felt 2B's hands twitch as she began tensing up when the memory they were currently watching began fading into a new one. _Time for another fun one huh?_ He thought as he winced from the fresh thorns digging into his consciousness. _I suppose I shouldn't expect long strings of normal memories by now._

 

> The darkness swirled around before clearing to reveal a dimly lit room. The sunlight pouring in a distant window barely illuminated the dusty bed 2B was sitting on and what looked like black clothes strewn about the floor at her feet. Their clothes. 2B turned to look at the sleeping figure sprawled out on the bed behind her.

_That's me. Wait, did we just--?_ 9S felt his face get red hot. _Whoa, whoa, is she really ok with me seeing this? Maybe I should go._ He stiffened and started to move to the next memory, but 2B tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him back.

“Hey it's ok, it's a memory with you isn't it? You deserve this one back just as much as all the others.”

“Yeah, you're right, sorry, I never thought we actually... I wasn't sure you were comfortable with me seeing... Well... anyway.” He shut up before he managed to embarrass himself even more.

 _Wait... so, that feeling from the other day..._ His mind flashed back to the day of their revival when his fingers brushed against the soft skin of her back and that feeling of longing that came with it. He almost couldn't believe she had allowed him to get that close to her back then. But she was with that 9S for a long time, so maybe it became just too much to hide how she felt. He pushed that thought away and settled back into the memory and looked through 2B's eyes once more.

 

> 2B reached out to the sleeping 9S and ran her fingers through his hair and down his cheek. A small smile broke across his face and he mumbled something inaudible before stretching out and going still once again; the slow rise and fall of his bare chest the only movement she could see.
> 
> She turned away and buried her face in her hands as a rush of thoughts and emotions hit her in the chest like a freight train.
> 
> _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._
> 
> _Why did I do that?_
> 
> _Why didn't I say no?_
> 
> _Why did I get attached?_
> 
> _Why was I stupid enough to think things would be different this time?_
> 
> _God, I'm so disgusting, I'm so selfish._
> 
> _I can't take this away from him and keep it for myself._
> 
> _It's not fair._
> 
> _I should have said no._
> 
> _I should have stopped myself._

9S felt his stomach drop. “Wait, why are you? Oh god 2B I didn't do anything to hurt you did I? I wouldn't--”

“No, Nines, it wasn't you. It was...” Her words were barely audible, but 9S could feel her grip tighten on his hand once again. “Just... keep watching.”

9S could feel his anxiety rising, but turned his focus back on the memory.

 

> 2B's vision began to blur and she moved her hands to look at the screen she was clutching in her lap. Tears began falling from her eyes onto the faint text and she could just make out what was written on it.
> 
> “Eliminate the target.”

_Oh._

“I promise you that everything you did then was truly amazing, you were so gentle and loving, and in that moment I felt as if nothing else mattered as long as I got to hold you in my arms. I hoped it was going to be different that time. It had been almost a year since the last time I was given orders to... I thought maybe this time that order would never come. But I was wrong. I let my guard down and my feelings get in the way of my mission and made us both suffer.”

2B sighed and paused, 9S could feel her shiver as her memories cloud and swirled together and the sting of the thorns strengthened, but she shook her head to clear and soften them and continued.

“It's like command watched the whole thing and decided to give the orders right then as some sort of sick joke, or punishment. I wanted to fly straight back to the bunker and ram my sword through the commander until she was an unidentifiable pile of blood and circuitry. I wanted to scream and throw that stupid screen across the room. I wanted to grab you and run to the other side of the world and never look back.”

“2B...” He whispered. “What kind of cruel...”

9S felt the familiar sensation of tears dropping on his knees. He was almost used to it at this point, they had both shed a lot of them over the past few days, but he still never knew what to say. Before he could think of something though, the memory continued.

> 2B felt a hand gently touch her bare arm. She tensed up and tossed the screen aside.
> 
> “2B, it's ok. We can meet again, just like we've done before.”
> 
> “W-what are you talking about?” 2B stuttered as she hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes.
> 
> “I'm a scanner, figuring things out is my specialty, I can't help it. I know what you're assigned to do and I know there's nothing we can do about it. I know I'll keep coming back to you again and again. I know how much it hurts you, but please, I want you to do this for me. I want it to be you. I want you to remember everything we've done together, for me. Maybe one day, when this war is over, you can give them back. Promise me you'll forgive yourself. Promise me you wont die. Promise me you'll keep being the one to kill me. Please. I don't want it to be anyone else.” He pulled himself up and sidled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in the back of her neck. She couldn't hold the tears back any longer; her whole body shook as she began sobbing uncontrollably. 9S patiently waited for the sobs to subside, never once letting go of her.
> 
> “9S,” she sniffed, “I don't want to do this anymore, I never wanted to do this, I never want to hurt you like this again. But... if this is what you really want... then... I won't stop. I'll keep going till the end of time if I need to, so that one day I can keep my promise and give you back everything I've taken from you.” Her voice trailed off and she continued quietly sobbing as 9S held her and rocked her gently.
> 
> Her crying subsided after a long while and she just sat there, looking dimly at her hands. He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek. “2B it's ok. I'll do it this time, so you don't have to. Just please make sure to properly kill me from now on.” Before she could respond, 2B looked down to see those familiar metallic crystals growing on his hands and creeping up his arms as he infected himself with his own logic virus; she could feel them poking into the skin on her neck as it worked it's way across his face.
> 
> She sat in shock as his body was overtaken. She couldn't turn to face him, she couldn't move at all. She just waited, frozen in place, as his life slowly slipped away.
> 
> “9S... forgive me.” She whispered after she had regained some control, but she had waited a second too long to say it. His arms went limp and she could feel the weight of him pressing against her back. She grabbed both of his hands in hers and pressed them against her cheeks and screamed, ignoring the sharp metal digging into her face.
> 
> She finally turned around and laid his body down on the bed gently, as if she was trying not to wake him from a light sleep. “I promise, even if it takes a thousand years, to keep these memories safe for you. Even if you forget me, I will never forget you.”

Dark clouds began swirling around the memory as 9S was brought back into the present. He could feel 2B trembling and sobbing almost as hard as she was in the memory.

“2B, we can stop if this is hurting you too much. We can always pick it back up tomorrow.”

“No. I'm fine, keep looking as much as you can and only stop when _you_ are ready to.” She took a deep breath to bring her breathing rate back to normal and continued. “I'm ok, I promise. Am I still softening the thorns enough?”

“Y-yeah, you're still doing great.” He breathed in deeply as well, only now realizing that he was also very tense and shaky, or that there were fresh tear streaks running down his face.

After a moment of catching their breath, 9S continued. “How about we do one more and then call it a day? You've given me a lot already and it'll be nice thinking about those until we pick things up again.” 2B nodded and closed her eyes as he hacked back into her as she pulled another memory out.

“I think I know the perfect one.”

> They were on the coast this time. 2B could see 9S out of the corner of her eye, poking at one of the machine fish he just pulled up with his pod and chattering away as he recorded data about it. 2B felt a bite and pulled up a live bream but gently placed it back into the water. There was no use killing any real fish if they didn’t need to eat anything to survive.
> 
> She turned her attention back to 9S when she heard him struggling with a massive catch. It flopped around on the ground until he managed to wedge it into a large crack and did a small dance of some kind in celebration. She didn’t realize that a smile had spread its way across her face until 9S turned to look at her and smiled back and waved.
> 
> “Impressed?” He teased. 
> 
> She pushed her smile away and averted her gaze. “Be careful next time, I don’t want to have to report to command that you were injured by a fish.” She paused. “Although, I have to say pulling that thing in did take a lot of skill.”
> 
> “Wow, was that a compliment I heard? That’s new!” 9S’s grin turned into what was almost a smirk as he leaned up proudly against the giant machine.
> 
> 2B didn’t answer, and instead focused her attention back on her pod which was lazily bobbing in the water. 
> 
> “Hey are you ok? Do you wanna sit down for a bit?”
> 
> “Aren’t you supposed to be collecting data?” She said, in her usual cool tone.
> 
> “Yeah but we’ve been out here for hours and the salt that’s spraying everywhere is making my joints sore, isn’t it bothering you too? We should take a break and perform maintenance.”
> 
> “Hmm, I guess you’re right. We’ll both be useless in battle if our legs turn to rust.”
> 
> “Great!” he exclaimed as he ran up to her and plopped down at the edge of the water. He leaned back on a slab of concrete, folding his legs under him. He pulled some cloth and cleaning fluid out of his pack and then patted the ground next to him, looking up at her expectantly. “Let me get you first.”
> 
> “Heh. Whatever you say Nines.” 2B said as she sat down beside him, holding one leg out toward him as he began skillfully wiping the salt away.
> 
> “Nines?” He looked at her, puzzled.
> 
> “Yeah, I thought it sounded… nice.” she looked away as she felt her face getting hotter than the sun was already making it.  _Idiot, why did you say that? You’re getting attached again._ “Plus it would be more efficient on missions to call out one syllable instead of two.”
> 
> “Haha you can be funny sometimes 2B. Nines huh?” He paused. “You’re right, it does sound nice! If you like calling me that I won’t mind at all.”

_Nines. So it was her that came up with that name?_ It felt as if something was tugging at the back of his head, trying to be remembered. _Nines. Nines. Nines Nines._ The pressure started to build almost to the point of pain. _Nines Nines Nines Nines Nines N--_

Suddenly the memories come flooding back. They washed through his mind like an unrelenting torrent, filling every last corner of his memory space, threatening to burst out of his head and spill out into the room. He felt his processors begin to overheat and his vision blur causing him to double over and grip his head and cry out in pain. He could faintly hear 2B calling his name, but he didn't have the energy to even move his head to look at her, let alone respond. Shit. He wanted his memories back and everything, but not like this. His vision went black and all his sensory functions shut down and he was alone in his own mind.

It first started as a flood of swirling noise with flashes of recognizable events splashed through it, but slowly they started to become clearer and more ordered. He could feel the excitement of meeting her for the first time again and again; the joy of finally getting a partner after working alone for so long; the intense passion from falling for her over and over. He could feel the frustration of seeing her get gradually colder and colder towards him after every reset; the fear gripping his chest every time she was in danger; the despair in his heart every time she ultimately turned her sword on him.

He lied there for what seemed like ages trying to process everything that was coming back. He couldn't tell how time was progressing outside, for all he knew it could have been a few seconds or a few weeks.

There was so much more he wanted to see, but he couldn't focus on any one thing. How much more did he know about YoRHa? Who else came into and out of his life? Where else did he travel? What other things did he do with 2B? Why her? Why would they do that to her? She didn't deserve any of this.

He looked at all the times he died and was horrified to see how many of them were his own damn fault. Jumping in front of her to shield her from machine fire. Standing up to enemies far beyond his skill level to come to her aid. Even ending his own life multiple times to spare her the pain of doing it herself. And so many of those time were after her desperate attempts to steer him away from finding out too much failed. He cursed himself for not taking the hint, for digging too far where he shouldn't belong despite her silent pleas not to. In hindsight it seemed painfully obvious what she was trying to do; but he guessed there was a big difference in being able to gather information on mindless machines and picking up on subtle social cues.

The restoration started to even itself out and he could feel his sensory processors begin to reboot. The soft whirring of the pods flying around the room came into focus first. Soon after he felt a cool sensation on his forehead and tried to reach up to touch it but couldn't manage more than a hand twitch.

“Rebooted... be operational... minutes... Proposal... prevent overheating... reduce unnecessary sensory input until memory restoration is complete.” _Reducing sensory input would be easier if you stopped talking pod._ He smirked at his own joke, wondering if his internal smile had translated onto his actual face.

The memory restoration had slowed to a crawl and all his senses felt fully operational again, yet his limbs still felt too heavy to move. _Ugh this is taking forever._ He took a deep breath and slowly pried his eyes open. 2B's face came into focus; he could see her tear-filled eyes soften as relief washed over her.

“Nines” A smile broke across her face as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“2...B...” he breathed as he strenuously reached his hand up towards her. She clasped it in both of hers and he pulled them down to rest them against his cheek, savoring the warmth of her fingers on his skin.

“Are you... ok?” 2B cracked a faint smile and freed one hand to run it through his hair, curling a strand around her finger.

“Yeah.” He said, as he finally locked eyes with her. Her face was painted with worry beneath that smile, and tears were threatening to fall from her stormy eyes once again. “Thank you. For keeping your promise to me.”

Her smile widened and she nodded. She took a deep breath before asking “Are they back? Your memories?”

He nodded and gave a reassuring smile. “I'm going to... need a while to process and organize them all... but I feel they're back for the most part.” The words were still heavy on his tongue but he continued. “I didn't realize... how long this had been going on. 2B I'm so sorry. I'm... so sorry. I should have stopped digging when you said but I never did. I--”

“9S.” She interrupted. “You were programmed with an intense curiosity and amazing information-gathering skills. They made it so it was practically impossible for you to to _not_ find out things they didn't want you knowing.

“It doesn't matter anymore though, we're free now. YoRHa is gone. Those orders will never come again. I don't have to hurt you ever again. I don't know if I can ever make up for what I've done to you, but I'll do everything in my power to make things right.” The tears finally started flowing again, tracing the path of the stains from earlier.

“You already have.” He said, reaching up to wipe them from her eyes. “You kept your promise. You're here with me, in this moment. That's all I ever really wanted. We both did so many things we regret, and have been hurt so many times in this war that might never end; but as long as you're by my side... I feel like everything will be ok. We can pull through this together. So please 2B, don't ever leave me like that again.” Tears began flowing from his eyes as well.

“All right. It's a promise.” She smiled, wiping the tears from his eyes in the same motion he did for her.

“You really mean it?”

“Yep, and I hope you keep your promise to buy me a t-shirt when the time comes, too.”

The biggest grin broke across his face as he blurted out an emphatic “Yes!” He started to prop himself up, but 2B gently pushed him back down.

“You've had a long day Nines; we both have. You need to rest.” She cradled his head in her hands and slid out from underneath him, slipping a pillow in the now empty space. He shivered involuntarily from the sudden change in temperature. “Just let your memories settle and I'll do what I can to help you get back anything else that might be still missing when you're ready.”

2B stretched out, her metallic joints faintly creaking as she raised her arms high above her head before slipping in bed beside him and pressing her body close. He savored her warmth soaking into him and the look of pure love radiating from her eyes as she rested her head just inches from his. She began stroking his hair with her free hand, keeping her other hand intertwined with his. 9S reciprocated, brushing her hair from her eyes before shifting down and resting his head against her chest, listening to her soft breathing and the faint beating of her artificial heart. She leaned forward, pressing her lips against his forehead and wrapped her arm around him, pulling him even closer.

His eyelids became heavy and he felt sleep coming to claim him, feeling completely at peace in her warm embrace. _This is really happening. We're really free. We're free... and nothing can tear us away from each other ever again._

He smiled as his senses went dark and once again faced the swirling mass of memories; taking care to surround himself in the pure light of all the time they spent together, both good and bad. It didn't matter to him, it was like he was getting to know her all over again.

He knew when they woke up in the morning that they could start living for the future. Getting back his old memories was a great feeling, but it was time to start forging new ones.


	4. Sin_00.txt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set a few days after 9S restored his memories; our disgustingly cute couple find the perfect time and place to have their first time together after ending E.
> 
> YEP EVERYONE, THEY DO THE DO AGAIN.

It had been a few days since 9S had finally gotten his memories back. 2B had stayed by his side the entire time he was processing all the information; helping him come to terms with and understand everything that had happened to his past selves. Getting not only his own memories back, but the emotions behind them only served to make him love and appreciate 2B and her sacrifices for him even more.

_She's gone through so much, suffered so much because of my oblivious actions. And she still blames herself for it all. I need her to know that I forgive her. No. I need her to know that I never needed to forgive her because nothing she's ever done has needed forgiveness._

He wanted to show her how much he cared about her; he wanted to make her feel so good that every drop of self-hate in her mind was washed out by his love for her. That and, he also wants some relief for the uncomfortable feelings he's been feeling inside his pants. They've come close to full body contact in the days since their revival; touching and rubbing each other under their clothes in the semi-privacy of their room in the Resistance camp, but they needed somewhere they could do it without fear of interruption by some concerned android bursting in wondering what all the screaming was about.

Even though they've had sex once before, and they've been doing all but the full act together recently, 9S was still nervous about asking. He wasn't sure why he was afraid; she's initiated the contact herself most of the time so it's not likely she'd say no. Maybe he was afraid of disappointing her, or not living up to the performance he did the last time, he wasn't sure. But he knew he had to ask soon, for both their sakes.

His chance conveniently came up the next day; Anemone only had one short errand for them to run and it brought them close to where he wanted to be with 2B.

“H-hey 2B. Can I show you something? It's not super far.” He said, trying to hide his nervousness.

“Of course. What is it?”

“Uhm, I can explain more when we get there.” He felt his face getting red and he knew it was likely 2B already had a feeling about what was about to happen. He took her hand in his and led her the short distance to their destination; a small, four story building in relatively good condition compared to the ones surrounding it. They headed up the dark staircase to the top floor and pushed the door open to the blinding light of a small room.

It was pretty bare. Just an old desk and a plain bed took up space inside it. A large, cracked window bathed the room in soft light as dust motes glowed and sparkled around the area. He turned to 2B and smiled nervously and she smiled back, a knowing look in her eye.

“So uh...” He began. “I had set this place up after... uh. Well. I needed somewhere to be alone; it was hard sleeping in my bed back at camp without you there in the other one. I kinda miss it here almost, and I thought we could put it to good use still. Ehhm.”

He shifted his body away from her before continuing. “Well I was wondering if we could, well... if we could... coul--” He was cut off by something soft hitting the back of his head and flop over to conceal part of his face. He pulled it off and jumped in shock when he saw what it was, before turning back to look at her.

“HWAUGH 2B??” She was standing there completely topless and was smiling softly; exposing parts of her that he had only seen once, long ago. He stared, mouth agape, as if he couldn't process what was happening. His fingers relaxed and her shirt fell to the floor.

“Whoa, whoa 2B, oh g-gosh.” He stuttered, face turning red.

“Is this not what you were going to ask Nines?” Her smile faded slightly

“Well, yeah, but heh, I didn't think... well... you... aghh.” Frustrated at his inability to form complete sentences, 9S reached down and pulled his shirt off in one fluid motion and tossed it in her face. She laughed quietly as it covered her entire head like a veil.

The scanner breathed deeply and took the chance to move towards her; moving his hand upward to push the cloth away to look into her eyes. Her smile returned and she began to lean slightly forward.

“Let me ask this properly 2B. Do you want to do this with me?”

“Yes Nines. I've been waiting for this moment for so long.”

“We can do this without fear now.”

“We can do this as many times as we want now.”

“We can do this as long as we want now.”

“We can do this right now.”

“Right now.” With that, 2B leaned forward and planted her lips on his. He gasped slightly and melted into her, skipping the cautious testing like the previous time and going straight to soaking in the feeling of her soft skin on his lips as he works his way back to her neck, kissing every inch of her.

He pushed gently on her as he continued feeling her body with his mouth; licking around the rim of her ear, suckling on her earlobe, kissing the soft skin below her chin. Pretty soon, he felt her back bump lightly against the wall and a slight shiver radiate through her body as she adjusted to the chill of the concrete.

 _Closer. I need to be closer._ He moved up on her until his body was pressing against hers. Her breasts were warm and soft against his bare, flat chest, and he could feel her nipples poking into him. She moved her hips forward slightly, gently grinding her crotch against his. He was definitely hard by now, and she was definitely aware as she made lewd noises every time she pushed up against him, which only served to make him even harder.

“Mmm... 2B...” He gasped. “I need to... I want to get to know every inch of you. I want to feel every part of your body with every part or mine. I want to be so familiar with you that if I ever lose my eyes one day I can still see you as clearly as I do right now.

“Wow Nines,” she blushed, “you're quite the smooth talker now. I like that.”

9S let out a soft laugh as he nibbled gently on her neck. “What can I say? You're amazing, and I want you to know that.” He supposes it's probably for the best not to mention he'd been perfecting that bit of dialogue in his head over the past few days. He can just let her think he came up with it on the spot.

He kissed her on the lips again and began trailing downwards, feeling her with a combination of kissing, licking and sucking. Along her chin, down her neck, across her shoulders, along her arm, to her fingers. He took her wrist gently in his hand and pulled her arm closer.

She stayed mostly still for him, other than occasionally grinding against his hips when she could reach, and stroking his hair with her free hand. He took the tip of her glove in his teeth and pulled it off, before taking her fingers in his mouth and sucking and licking on each one. He paused after a minute and pulled back; leaving a trail of saliva dripping down his chin and briefly connecting to her hand.

“Does this feel good 2B?” He smiled.

“Anything you do to me right now feels amazing Nines.” She smiled back.

“Ok good, please tell me if anything I do is weird... I just need to... right now... I just need to feel you... to know this is real.”

“Of course. Anything you want, I want.”

“Mmm...” He turned back to her hand, still gingerly gripped in his own and began licking again; tongue flicking between each digit before working his way back up against the even softer skin on the inside of her arm. He did the same with her other arm and she took her still-soaked fingers and smoothed them through his hair and behind his ear.

Back up he went and his lips lingered on her collarbone for a moment, before taking a deep breath and sliding down to her breasts. He paused a moment more and began licking, sucking, and nibbling on the tender flesh. Her breathing became faster and more erratic and he could feel her tremble each time his tongue ghosted across her nipple.

“N-nines... aah.”

He leaned forward and buried his face between her breasts and stroked the outer edges and undersides of them with his fingers. He still couldn't get over how _warm_ she was. The sides of his face were growing red again, but not from embarrassment this time... ok maybe a little bit of it was from that. But the heat from her body almost seared his cheeks, and it felt _good._ He pulled back and the rush of cold air on his damp cheeks made him shiver, and he looked up into 2B's eyes to see a slight smirk on her face.

He smiled back and continued his way downwards. It's weird to him, he thinks. He's seen all of her body before. He's touched, and rubbed, and kissed her all over before. He's been inside her before. He's made her scream his name at the top of her lungs before. But at the same time, he hasn't. The body he's in now, has never been touched by her in that way. And he's never touched her that way either. They've both died and have gone through several vessels before coming to the ones they're in right now.

Is he the same person that held her all those months ago? Or did was the 9S that slept with her a completely different person that he's just holding the memories of? He didn't want to think about that, not right now.

But his mind kept going as he worked his way down her body. Are they going to like the same things they liked before? Should they just try to recreate the last time they did it to compare? If he touches her here, will it elicit the same response it did back then? He pauses at her navel; hands coming down to cup her ass and feel the smooth skin under his fingers.

“9S is something wrong?”

“Oh uh... No, I'm just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing, really.”

“Niiinesss.”

“Aahh. I was just thinking... are we really the same people as we were when we did this last? We've gone through body after body, and even though I remember everything now... it still feels... different.”

“Different? How?”

“I-I don't know... Not in a bad way, though! I mean like... I don't know. Heh... maybe it's not the best time to be a scanner now huh?”

“Hmmm...” 2B tugged on his hair lightly. “I like that about you though. You're always thoughtful and observant. Asking questions that never would have even crossed my mind.”

9S blushed but 2B continued before he could respond. “Maybe we are different than we were before... but I don't really think it matters. Even though you haven't touched this physical body I'm in now in all of the same ways you did back then, your mind has touched mine in a way no one else has before, and that has stayed the same no matter how many bodies I go through. You're still you and I'm still me.

“Heh... you're probably right. I know... even when I lost my memories and had to start over again and again, each time my feelings for you ended up being the same. They're the same now as they were that day.” He hummed softly and went back to work.

9S brushed his lips across her stomach very lightly; flicking his tongue out every once in a while and running his fingers up and down her ribcage to make her laugh and squirm for him. She leaned over him and attacked him from behind, sticking her fingers under his armpits and wiggling them around, causing him to jerk his body and smack his face into her stomach in surprise. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her slightly.

“Aah! Sorry 2B, you caught me by surprise there.” He felt bad but 2B just laughed softly and waved it off. Down he went once again. He was getting closer to... there... and he felt more nervous by the second.

He reached the hem of her pants and grabbed it with his teeth; struggling to pull it downwards without the use of his hands. His fingers dug into her back as he tugged at it to no avail. Frustrated, he finally gave up and hooked his thumbs under the elastic and pulled them down until they fell at her ankles. 2B giggled at his efforts and kicked the rude bit of fabric away.

9S huffed and planted his lips against her upper thigh and headed back up towards her crotch. He felt a thrilling chill run down his body as his lips brushed lightly across the pink crown of flesh hiding between her legs. She had a very similar reaction as she straightened back up, taking a sharp intake of breath at the sensation. _Not yet._ He thought. _I still need to..._

Back down her leg he went, speeding up now that he had a fresh taste of what he was going to be getting soon. He glanced at the space between, marveling at the line of liquid that was trickling down her legs. _Just a bit more,_ he thought as me moved down her leg; thankful that she had kicked off her boots and socks on her own as he was playing with her breasts so he didn't have to embarrass himself trying to get those off too.

He brushed the top of her foot and moved to the next one and heading back up. Faster and faster; almost too fast. His movements were quick but his breathing was quicker and 2B's was the quickest. It seemed like she made a noise each time his lips came in contact with her now and she shifted her body around more and more as her trembling fingers dug into his shoulders.

Along her stomach, across her breasts, up her neck to once again reunite with her lips. She sighed loudly as they finally made contact once again and she took the opportunity to begin pushing him back. Her hands came up around the small of his back as she led him towards the bed.

His calves hit the mattress and he found himself falling backwards, landing roughly into the sheets with 2B on top of him. She settled on his hips as his legs dangled limply over the edge; shifting back and forth, rubbing up against his erection. Oh god how he wished he took his pants off when he had the chance earlier; the pressure was near unbearable now and _nghh..._

She leaned forward over him; lips nearly touching his ear and whispered. “You know, I _could_ get you back for that teasing with some of my own, but I can't wait much longer for this.” He shuddered in anticipation as she got up off him and made her way down to his legs; taking his pants in her teeth and dragging them down and off skillfully. He was almost jealous at her ability to do what he struggled and failed to do himself; but that feeling was drowned out by the relief that came with having his erection finally freed from its confines.

His boots came next, she didn't bother trying to be sexy with that as she yanked them off and threw them unceremoniously in the corner just to get them out of the way faster. He let out a sigh of relief as 2B climbed back on top of him; pressing down on his cock and squeezing her hips together as she rubbed back and forth; covering it in her own juices to lubricate it for when it was time to actually slide inside her.

“Nghh... 2B...” He panted. The pressure was still building and he let out a wheeze each time she thrust.

“Nines sit up.” He voice was gentle, but her request was not up for debate. He obeyed, pushing himself up shakily until he was sitting face to face with her. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him and held him for a moment, before moving her arms up to unbuckle his choker. Another shiver ran up his spine as that part of his neck was exposed for the first time in possibly his whole life. He felt almost naked with it gone... well... he _was_ naked, but naked in a different way; one that he couldn't really describe at the moment. It was always a part of him to the point of not even remembering it was even there most of the time; and now that it's gone, it just felt _weird_.

But he didn't have much time to think about it as 2B lifted the necklace up to his face and let it dangle in front of him for a moment, before tossing it out the window behind her. He cocked his head in confusion and she smiled and placed her hands on his shoulders, looking deep into his eyes.

“You're nobody's dog now. Not YoRHa's, not the Resistance's, not mine. You're my partner, my equal, my love, my light.” She whispered.

“2B...” He whispered back, unsure of how to respond. “You... heh... thank you... although I can't say I'd mind being your dog either way but...”

“Hmm, you're too sweet Nines.”

“Anything for you 2B.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything.”

“Then move your hips.” She lifted herself up and the both shifted over until he was flat on the bed. “Much better. Are you ready?”

“How can I not be?”

“Mmm...” 2B spread her legs out further and began lowering herself onto him; shifting herself around to find the best angle for entry. He gasped as he felt her slowly enveloping him and his legs twitched and shuddered at the sensation.

It wasn't the same as before, not at all. It was even better. Her whole body clearly wanted him as her walls contracted around him and pulled him in further. They grunted and gasped for air the deeper he went and he felt like he wanted to scream her name already, despite not even being close to climax yet.

“Y-yes... more.” He panted and exhaled loudly as she came to rest at the hilt. She didn't waste any more time as she began pulling herself back up, then back down; up and down, again and again, slowly and steadily. He began moving with her the moment his body readjusted to the sensation and they thrust in a gentle rhythm; looking into each others' eyes and listening to the wide variety of sounds that escaped each others' lips.

They kept at it for who knows how long as time melted away around them. All that existed, all that mattered was feeling the soft skin of their partner against their body and hearing their pleasured moans and soft whispers of the others' name.

He felt the pressure in his abdomen building for a while, but didn't pay much attention it as it lay on the back burner. Suddenly, the feeling skyrocketed and he spasmed and thrust his hips up roughly; causing a high pitched squeal to escape from 2B's lips. She ground down harder against him in return, clenching his hips together with her thighs and shaking as she felt her own climax building up as well.

They kept going, just a little while longer, until all the pressure that had been building up inside him rushed out as he came into her. His processors were on the verge of overload but he fought through it to keep this feeling going as long as possible. He screamed her name again and again until he could feel her body spasming as her own orgasm hit soon after. She came down on him, smothering her face in the pillow and pressed her body against him as she screamed and held him tight.

His arms came up to wrap around her and pull her even closer; he didn't even care that the pressure on his chest took his breath away and made him see stars. In fact, he almost liked that breathless feeling.

Slowly, their bodies calmed and they simply lay there in each others' arms until their systems repaired themselves enough to let them move again.

“Mmm...” was all 2B was able to force out while her face was still deep in the blankets next to 9S's. A big strand of her silvery hair was draped across his mouth and he tried to blow it away but gave up when he found he couldn't make any precise movements with any part of his body just yet.

“That was...” he breathed, “even better than last time.”

2B nodded slowly. “Mhmm...” 9S could feel her start to shake again and inhale sharply a few times. Was she... crying?

“2B? Are you ok?”

She nodded weakly. “Mmm...” She shifted her head to the side slightly so her mouth was free from the blankets, right next to his ear. She spoke softly and her voice was weak and shaky. “I'm just so... happy. I don't have to... I'll never have to... hurt you again.”

“No... never... we're free.” He reached over to her face and wiped away the fresh tears leaking from her eye.

“I don't... wanna move... from this spot.”

“Then don't. Stay with me until the end of time.”

“Heh... kay.”

“Hey 2B?”

“Hmm?” She answered weakly.

“I love you.” He could feel his pulse rate rise as those words escaped his lips.

“I love you too, Nines. So much.” She nuzzled her face into his neck and sighed. “So so much.”

“Hmm..” 9S combed his fingers through her hair until her breathing steadied and she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. He smiled and looked at the ceiling for a while, replaying the events in his head until sleep soon claimed him too.

The next morning he awoke slowly; still in mild disbelief that the previous night actually happened. The love of his life was nestled safely in his arms, still sleeping peacefully and happily; it wasn't a dream, it was real. He ran his fingers through her hair again, pushing it away from her face as he softly whispered her name. She shifted and sighed and her striking blue eyes fluttered open to gaze sleepily into his. A smile crept across her face and she pulled him closer and hummed.

“Morning sleepyhead, ready for the new day?”

 


	5. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 9S notices 2B is still hiding her feelings somewhat and tries to get her to open up so he can help her heal too. It all goes downhill fast when she accidentally discovers the corpses of the 2B models 9S killed in the tower. 9S has great trouble comforting her until he comes up with an idea to help her through this.  
> Post ending [E] spoilers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look here the fic I wasn’t going to continue until after finals has it’s 2nd chapter magically appear! Chronologically it comes right after Open The Memory Cage. Sorry ya'll but it's not the smutty one, I'm trying to get more practice in regular writing before I try to tackle that.

9S awoke to the noise of the Resistance camp beginning its morning routine; the sound of pounding metal and barked orders scratched on his eardrums. He groaned and silently wished they could at least try to be quieter. Next to him, 2B stirred and opened her eyes. He met her gaze and smiled softly before planting a soft kiss on her forehead. She hummed and did the same for him. He still could hardly believe the beautiful sight he saw every time he opened his eyes. After everything they went through, fate had decided to lead them here together. And for that, he was eternally grateful.

“Good morning Nines.” She mumbled, still half asleep. “Are you ready for the day?'

The days after his memory restoration began to fall into a welcome rhythm. The Resistance continued working them to the bone, but it wasn't so bad now that they didn't have any obligations to risk their lives for YoRHa anymore. 9S enjoyed spending the long days running alongside 2B, doing whatever meaningless task they were asked to do. He enjoyed the nights they spent wrapped up in each others arms, listening to her rhythmic breathing put him to sleep.

Still, something seemed off. Despite being physically close to him, she still felt emotionally distant at times. But despite 9S's reassurances that he was there to listen if she needed to open up, she continued to assure him that everything was fine. This frustrated him, yet he tried not to push it too often. _I'm sure it'll just take time. She's been through hell and back._

On their way towards a standard retrieval mission in the tower rubble, they passed by the entrance to Pascals village. 2B eyed the network of bridged with a look of nostalgia.

“9S. It's been such a long time since we last saw Pascal; I think we should pay him a visit since we're so close right now.” 9S's heart skipped a beat as unconsciously tensed up and clenched his fists. 2B didn't notice and began walking towards the entrance.

“2B wait... About that...” He looked at the ground and dug the toe of his boot in the ground. “The village is destroyed... I don't know what happened, but all the villagers are dead and Pascal has lost his memories. It hurt to see him that way but he seems happy now... I guess.”

“Is that so.” She sounded disheartened. They stood there in silence for a while before 2B continued. “Still, I think we should still talk to him. I wouldn't want him to keep being alone.”

“Yeah.” 9S kicked a rock some distance away and it plinked against a broken machine down the path. He cringed slightly; he hadn't intended to do that but still felt slight guilt, even though the machine was long dead.

They approached Pascal, who had begun waving at them as soon as they came into view.

“Hello androids, care to buy some of my wares? There's so much good junk around here and I know you like to use parts to build whatever you do!”

“We're fine.” 2B replied. “We just came by to say hi.”

“Oh, well hello again then! I haven't had any visitors recently but I do remember seeing you come by a few weeks ago.” He nodded towards 9S who was eyeing the machine parts littering the ground.

“Hey Pascal?” He turned to face the machine, yet not making eye contact.

“Everyone keeps calling me that, even though I don't remember being given a name. I'm not complaining though, it has a nice ring to it!.”

9S let out a small laugh. “Heh. I know you don't remember us but I wanted to say... I'm sorry, for the way I acted towards you back then. You had given us plenty of proof that you weren't our enemy but I still treated you like one. So... yeah.”

“Apology accepted! I'm sure it wasn't a big deal really.” Despite not being able to move his face, 9S could detect that if he could, there would be a big cheesy grin plastered across it. They conversed for a short while before parting ways. Promising to visit again soon.

“I don't know what happened here,” 2B said as they walked off, “but I think it would be good to bring him back some books and data from the old world to help ease his loneliness. I think it would be what he-- the old Pascal, would have wanted.”

“You're probably right.” 9S replied. He turned towards 2B to see her looking down at the ground, her face twisted into a frown and pain clouding her eyes.

“Whoa 2B are you ok?” 9S stopped in his tracks for a split second but continued following her when she didn't stop as well.

“Heh, it seems like everyone I meet is cursed to meet a terrible fate, either by some horrible circumstance, or by my own sword.” She sighed loudly and shook the grimace from her face.

“2B I...”

“Sorry,” She interrupted. “ I didn't mean to be a downer like that. We're almost there; let's go.”

 _Something's up. But what do I say? I suppose I should just keep waiting to let her open up when she's ready._ They continued on in awkward silence until they reached their destination; the rubble of part of the collapsed tower littered the forest floor; the aesthetics of the futuristic looking material of the tower almost clashed with the ancient weathered stone of the destroyed castle walls.

The two began rummaging through the wreckage in search of anything salvageable; old documents, spare parts, data, anything. They began in silence, working around the rubble off in different directions but always within earshot of each other. After a while 9S began chattering away about the old world while 2B listened. He didn't even notice when her footsteps stopped abruptly.

“Hey 2B could you give me a hand with moving this door? I think I see a chest under it.”

No response.

“2B?” He poked his head out from behind the rubble and saw her standing some ways away. Her body was stiff and her fists were clenched by her sides as she looked intensely at something in front of her. 9S clambered over to her to see what was going on.

“2B. Are you--” The words caught in his throat as his eyes followed her gaze down into the deep pit before them. The corpses of the 2B models slain in the tower were poking out through the rubble, slashes from his sword still clearly visible across their bodies. _Shit shit shit. I lost track of where I was in the tower, I didn't realize I was that far out. Oh hell I fucked up, I fucked up._

Before he could formulate any words, a small movement in the pit caught his attention. A hand grasping out from under the rubble. There was one still alive after all this time?

With no hesitation, 2B stormed over to the twitching hand and effortlessly kicked the large boulders away to reveal the highly damaged model beneath it. She pulled out her sword and drove it into the android's chest multiple times; faint metallic screeches could be heard under the sound of 2B's own pained screams, until the unit completely ceased movement. She continued standing there, splashed with blood, breathing heavily, and tightly gripping her sword still embedded deeply in the unit's chest. The intense look on her face was like nothing 9S has ever seen before. It was almost unreadable, as if a thousand emotions were trying to force themselves out at once.

He approached her cautiously, not wanting to trigger a reflex and end up getting impaled as well. He could see her trembling as he got closer and tears were welling up in her eyes. He gently placed his hand on her back causing her to jump slightly and quickly blink the tears away. They stood there in silence for a moment before 2B shook her head and walked back in the direction they just came.

“You said you needed help moving something right? Where is it?” She asked flatly. 9S could detect a hint of pain behind it, despite her efforts to hide it.

“2B wait...” What was he supposed to say? That it was all ok? She knows what he felt when he fought the clones in the tower. Even though those feelings have faded as she helped him regain his memories, his words must have cut her deeply regardless.

He caught up with her and grabbed her hand in his, slightly tugging in the direction of camp. She squeezed back but refused to look at him.

“Let's go back. We've been digging around here for hours now, we deserve some rest.”

“Right, yeah.” She mumbled as 9S started leading her over the precarious terrain away from the copies.

The walk back was filled with silence as they weaved their way through the ruined city. Their footsteps echoed across the ancient buildings; the normally subdued sound almost deafening as each tap grazed against his eardrums. He never once let go of her hand; occasionally squeezing it gently only to have it returned around half the time.

They arrived at camp and hurried back to their room, ignoring the questioning glances of nearby Resistance members. The two of them synchronously plopped down on the bed, leaning back against the cold concrete walls; neither of them breaking the silence for a long while.

“9S?” She said faintly.

“Yeah 2b?”

“I'm sorry. For everything.” He voice trembled as she squeezed his hand again, almost to the point of pain. He ignored it as he turned to face her and could see tears welling up in her eyes again.

“I'm so sorry. I hurt you so much, and every time you forgave me so easily, but... I still can't forgive myself.”

“2B, it's in the past though. You said it yourself, we're free and it won't ever happen again. You gave me my memories back and that's all I could ask for.” _Is it really though?_ 9S pushes the thought away and instead focuses on 2B. _This isn't about me right now._ He inches ever closer to her and places his free hand on her cheek, wiping the tears away before they could fall.

“Yeah, yeah I guess you're right.” She sighed deeply as she pressed back against his hand. “But still...” She paused. “No, never mind, it'll all heal with time, it'll all be ok. Let's just get some rest ok?” She cracked a weak smile and leaned forward, brushing her lips lightly on his forehead.

“Oh... ok.” 9S wanted to say more, but it was challenging enough saying what he just did. _Fuck why is talking so hard now?_ He could chatter a mile a minute but when he actually needed that skill it slipped from his grasp like water through his fingers. He couldn't just let the conversation end like this, he wanted her to open up to him like he did to her, but simultaneously didn't want to press the issue if she didn't want to talk about it.

2B rose and changed into something more comfortable to sleep in and 9S followed suit. They slipped into bed together, wrapping their arms around each other in a tight embrace. She nuzzled against his chest; her warm breath causing the thin fabric of his shirt to flutter. He moved his hand up to comb his fingers through her hair, causing her to make a small squeaky noise and run her hand up and down his back in return.

“2B. I'm glad you're here with me. Truly. I don't ever want to be alone anymore.” He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. That much was the truth at least. Whatever feelings were hiding deep down in his core, he knew just as deeply that he never wanted to lose her again.

“I know.” She breathed. “I don't either, thank you Nines.” They held each other as they began drifting off to sleep. Her rhythmic breathing, the light touch of her hands on his back, the warmth of her body radiating into his; they all sped up the process and soon the world around him went dark.

* * *

 9S awoke some time later as he felt something bump lightly against his leg. He groggily opened his eyes, still half asleep and turned to see what it was. 2B had pulled away from him at some point in the night; she was now curled up, facing away from him, her foot was now resting on his thigh. She twitched again and pulled herself even tighter into a ball. He could sense her pulse and breathing rate increased to almost dangerous levels and she began mumbling something incoherent.

“2B?” He asked, as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She bolted upright and let out what sounded like a mixture of a gasp and a scream; her eyes were wide with shock as she fought for air.

“2B it's ok, I'm here!” He jumped over to her and took her hands in his, giving her a reassuring smile.

“9...S?” She panted. “Oh thank God, it was just a dream. I thought you...” She let out a shaky laugh and buried her head in his chest. “It was just a dream.”

“Please talk to me.” He begged. “You don't... you don't have to be strong all the time. You don't have to hide your emotions anymore. I want to help you like you helped me. Please.”

She sighed loudly and remained silent for a moment before speaking. “It's hard. I was forced to act a certain way for as long as I've been alive. Either from command or from myself so I wouldn't give up entirely on this world. Emotions are prohibited. Emotions are prohibited. Emotions are prohibited. I kept everything bottled up, hidden away from everything, away from you. But now that command is gone I don't know what to do anymore. I just...” The words trailed off.

“It's so hard to rewrite your programming.” He finished. “It's not something you can just hack in and fix in one sitting. I wish I could though, but when has life ever been easy?”

“Hacking's not going to undo the things I've done in the past though. It's not going to bring anyone back, it's not going to erase all the pain I've caused you and so many others.”

“It wasn't your fault 2B, you had no choice.”

“Did I really though? I think back to all the things I could have done to protect you. And I...” She let out a frustrated groan. “Did I really try hard enough? Did I actually exhaust all my options?”

“The outcome would have still been the same, you know that. Maybe there was something you could have done to prolong one of the past me's life, but in the end it wouldn't really have changed the me that's here right now. It wouldn't have changed how I feel about you now. And you've said it before, it's no use dwelling on the what-ifs because there's nothing you can do to change them now, we just gotta keep moving forward.”

2B didn't answer, instead she pushed her head harder into his chest and squeezed his hands. He rested his head on hers and sat quietly; waiting for a response, or an idea, anything. Suddenly, it came to him.

“2B. I think I might know what can help, if you're feeling up to it I wanna show you something.”

“Okay.” She said, weakly. “What is it?”

“I'll tell you when we get there, it's not far.” He smiled.

* * *

 They arrived at the rusted doors of the elevator in the abandoned shopping center. 2B looked at 9S inquisitively as they waited for it to creak its way up to them. _Ding._ They entered in silence and waited for it to descend.

“After I lost you, I helped a Resistance member gather keepsakes from his fallen friends. He told me about... an old human tradition of mourning the dead, of leaving something for them to honor them. To help them find peace. Or something.” The door opened and the elevator was illuminated with the light of a thousand lunar tears. The sight never ceased to take his breath away. “I don't really understand it myself but I thought you deserved to have something like that. And I guess it was also a way for me to talk to you one last time, even though you weren't really there.”

They approached the memorial, a simple post with her old visor tied to it which hung limply down the side. 2B kneeled down and reached out to it. She ran it through her fingers lightly as a smile worked its way across her face.

“You did this for me?” She turned to 9S locking her stormy eyes with his. “Thank you Nines. It's beautiful.” That expression. So soft and gentle and lit by the dreamy light of the flowers. He didn't want to look away. He sat down across from her, being careful not to crush any of them beneath him.

“2B, I was wondering. It might help you find peace too if we did something like that to everyone you've lost in the past. We could travel to wherever you've had to kill anyone and pay our respects.”

“To pay our respects?” She questioned.

9S felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him. “Er yeah, do you not like the idea?”

“No, it's not that I just...” She pondered for a moment. “I don't know how all this works either. None of it makes sense. But, if there's even a small chance it'll help them find peace,” she turned to 9S and smiled widely, “then I say let's do this.”

His face lit up and he clapped his hands together excitedly. “You really mean it?”

“Yep. Let's leave now even. We can head back to camp and pack up what we need and be gone within the hour.” She jumped back up and held out her hand to him. “How does that sound?”

“G-great!” He took her hand and stood up. “Wow I didn't think it would be happening this fast but let's do this!”

“Haha. I think it would do us both good to get away from this area for a while anyway.” They started heading back to the elevator. As the doors closed she said. “Although I do want to stop by here again before we leave, there's something I need to do.”

* * *

 They arrived back at the Resistance camp and began preparing for their journey. Anemone didn't do anything to hide her annoyance at their impending departure but nevertheless did nothing to stop them. “The machines are uncommon around these parts now and whatever remains seem pretty docile.” She told them. “We'll be fine for a while on our own, just like we were before you came along.” 9S couldn't figure out if that was a thinly veiled insult or just a matter-of-fact statement, but it didn't matter really. “Oh and I'll have those books sent out to Pascal as you requested when we have a free set of hands.”

2B had attached a large box to the bottom of her pack and headed out back towards the shopping center with 9S in tow. Metallic clinking could be heard every step she made. 9S was curious about what it was but didn't ask any questions. _I'm sure I'll find out soon enough anyway._

When they arrived back at the memorial, 2B let her pack drop to the floor with a resounding thud. She kicked the box open to reveal a mess of old empty cans and what looked like a crudely made hand shovel. She grabbed the spade and began carefully digging up a nearby tear and gently placed it into one of the cans before putting it back in the box. She then repeated this with the 46 other cans as 9S watched from the sidelines.

 _Should I offer to help?_ He pondered. _No, this is something she needs to do on her own._

When she finished she dusted her hands off on her pants and began rummaging through her bag. She pulled her old YoRHa uniform out and began stuffing it into the box around each of the cans to protect them from being jostled around.

“You ready?” She smiled as she closed the chest and reattached it to her bag.

“Yeah, lets go!” And they were off. 9S glanced at the map her pod was displaying. 47 white dots littered the screen, all scattered across a vast distance; a few of them were tightly clumped together. 9S feet hurt just looking at the sheer size of the area they'd be traveling. _But it must be nothing compared to the pain she's feeling right now._ He thought.

They walked in silence, hand in hand, as trees slowly were replaced by sand and then by more sand. The sun beat down on them relentlessly and he could feel his system working overtime to prevent overheating. Sand began filling his boots and he began shaking his feet whenever he had the chance in a futile attempt to rid them of the coarse particles. He looked to 2B who didn't seem bothered at all by any of this. _Heh, some thing never change I guess._

Just then his foot caught on a buried chunk of metal and he tumbled over, nearly taking 2B with him. He landed face first in the hot sand but quickly sat up; shaking himself off and spitting grit from his mouth, cursing under his breath.

“9S are you ok?” 2B said gently as she kneeled down to help him back up. “You don't have to push yourself so hard to keep up anymore. I'm fine with stopping if you need to rest for a bit and get the sand out of your shoes. It really is bothersome stuff.” She began dusting off his shirt for him and he felt hot with embarrassment that he could barely keep up with her, even with her carrying a heavy chest full of dirt and metal.

“I'm fine, we're getting close aren't we? It shouldn't be more than another half hour to get there right?” He began pulling 2B along but she didn't budge.

“Niiines.” She said in a slightly exasperated tone. _I guess she isn't taking no for an answer then._

“Fiiineeeee.” He teased. “I guess if you're sure we can stop at that rocky outcropping over there.” They headed over and sat down on some rocks; the shade from the huge boulder looming behind them offered some relief from the sweltering heat. He yanked his boots off and shook them; an almost impossible amount of sand poured out of them. 2B followed suit and stretched her feet out, savoring the slight breeze that blew between her toes. 9S was glad that the wind was nowhere near the intensity of the storms they've had to push through to get here before.

“9S?” 2B asked as they began traveling again. “Do you remember any information about this area back when humans still inhabited it? Can you tell me about it?”

9S lit up. “Yeah! I'd love too! I know all about this area's history now! It's really interesting actually.” The minutes blew by as 9S poured out what he learned about the unique group of people that inhabited the area so many thousands of years ago. They spoke a language nobody else in the world did. They had a ridiculous amount of laws that nobody, not even him could possibly remember.

2B listened intently, a serene smile lay on her face as 9S excitedly told her everything he knew. He was sure she didn't care that much about what he was talking about, but hearing him talk seemed to make her happy, so he continued. Anything to help ease her pain.

Before they knew it they arrived at the entrance to the Barren Temple protruding from the side of a large mountain. 2B stopped at the base of the stairs leading to the entrance. Uneasiness painted her face but she swallowed it down and continued up the steps with 9S by her side. She paused and gripped his hand tighter as they reached the door; a cold breeze blew out of the gap as if welcoming them home after a long time away.

They pushed through the door and were met with a sudden, but welcome temperature drop. 2B walked decidedly through the temple; past pillars and artifacts and over bits of collapsed ceiling. Her breathing became heavier as they reached a heavy set of doors shut tightly. She wedged her fingers through the cracks, pulling with all her might just to move it a few centimeters. 9S quickly joined her and together they managed to pull the door open enough to fit through. Her eyes flicked to a specific spot near the center of the room and she walked directly to it; dropping her bag and the chest on the ground when she stopped. 9S could see a spot of red on the ground, barely illuminated by the pods' lighting.

2B opened the chest and gingerly removed one of the lunar tears from its cloth nest. She sat down on the cold tile and placed the flower in the center of the stain.

“This is the first place I killed you. Do you remember it? I've killed several units before you; some of them I might have considered friends, but before this, killing them was just a job to me. Orders were orders, emotions were prohibited. But this, this was the first time I felt... guilt. I enjoyed the time I spent with you and deep down I didn't want to go through with the orders. I told myself I wouldn't apologize for the job I was assigned to do but now... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Nines.” She ran her fingers across the stain, picking up some of the rusty color on her fingertips. Her brow knit and tears began welling up in her eyes. 9S knelt down behind her and wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the back of her neck. She let out a small gasp and wrapped her hands around his; gently massaging his fingers.

“Thank you 2B.” He murmured. “Thank you for this.”

“Thank you Nines, for suggesting I do this. I can already feel some weight being lifted off my chest. I just hope coming to these places with me isn't going to cause you any more pain. I-I'm not sure if they've managed to retrieve every one of the bodies, so you might see...”

“That's fine. Maybe I could find some useful information on them anyway. Plus... it might be good to face myself in the past as well.”

“Yeah I guess.” Her voice sounded dim, so 9S gave her another squeeze and kissed her on the back of her head. They sat there for several minutes, not moving or talking, until 2B said, “I think I can move on now, if you're ready that is. There's another spot in this same temple near the entrance, but I wanted to come to this place first.”

“Right, lets go.”

* * *

They continued on, traveling for the next few weeks. Through forests, and plains, and ruined cities, and wastelands. Through rain, and wind, and hail. Slashing their way through whatever remaining hostile machines stood in their way. Only stopping to rest, holding each other in their arms.

Each time they reached a marker on 2B's map was the same in a way, and very different in another. She would start by pulling out a lunar tear from the chest and place it gently on the ground and would then begin telling a story, repeating a memory out loud about that particular instance. Sometimes towards the person she killed as if they were there to listen, and sometimes to 9S directly.

She was right when she said retrieval might not have disposed of everything; it was uncomfortable for 9S to see his broken, decayed body lying still on the ground, but he knew it was harder on 2B, so he pushed the uneasiness down and helped her make a proper burial whenever it was necessary.

He had begun teaching her to hack as well, so he could share his memories with her. She let him into her mind to see some of her most vulnerable moments; it would have been unfair if he didn't do the same for her. Being a B model, or... well... an E model, she was fairly slow at picking it up. But after some practice she became proficient enough to stay focused enough for him to share a memory clearly with her. Her hacking abilities likely would never be useful to her in battle, but hey, that's what he's there for.

9S noticed a change in 2B every time they departed after finishing up in an area. His conversations with her on their travels became less one sided; she began responding more to whatever facts he would throw out about the surrounding area. She smiled more, she laughed more, she opened up to him more. The times she jolted awake from nightmares became more and more sparse, and it became easier and easier to comfort her when it did happen. The weight on her chest grew lighter each time, just as the weight of the chest she carried on her back gradually decreased as well.

He felt a change in himself as well. The more they talked, and the more they opened up about their past, the more he felt the dark feelings buried deep within him burn away. This was the 2B he wanted to be with; the 2B that was free from the terrible burden placed on her by a cruel and unforgiving god. The 2B who's stormy blue eyes softened every time she whispered “Nines” into his ear as he fell asleep in her arms.

That's not to say he never loved the 2B from before though. Despite everything, it's still her. The same 2B he fell for her again and again, even when he knew she would inevitably be forced to kill him again and again. Just now, she didn't have to hide who she truly was under the stoic mask she always wore. She could finally be herself, out in the open, without fear.

He knew she felt the same about him too; she never was as good at hiding her emotions as she thought she was. He remembers the way she looked at him when she thought he was sleeping; the look of longing in her eyes as she reached out to stroke his hair but stopped herself at the last second. He remembers the way she held him for just a split second longer than needed whenever she caught him as he fell. He remembers the way she would call him “Nines” behind his back when she thought he couldn't hear him.

Through the memories she shared, he could remember the crushing pain she felt every time she received the message from Command to dispose of him. Every time, getting worse, and worse, to the point where he felt physically ill whenever he thought about it. But through all that, he could remember the glimmer of hope that showed itself through all of the memories she shared with him, as dim as it may have been at some times. The hope that one day it would all be over and they would be free to be together without worry. He could feel the determination to keep her promise to him keep pulling her forward, despite every other part of her screaming to give up.

* * *

 They were nearing the end of their journey; there was one stop left, one flower left to place. 2B had deliberately skipped over this site multiple times, choosing to save it for last, and 9S had a feeling he knew why. They had been walking for almost a day non-stop and were exhausted, but despite that, they both picked up the pace when their pods alerted them to how close they were.

The trees were tall and thick and blocked out the sun and the sweltering summer heat very well. The sound of the ocean could be heart faintly in the distance. Bits of destroyed machine lifeforms dotted the area and they had to be careful not to trip on stray parts. No live machines could be detected, which was a relief to both of them; being interrupted by a bunch of small fry while mourning was beyond frustrating.

The memories they shared in this area were some of the happiest before this point. They had spent months there researching a group of abnormal and elusive machine lifeforms as well as collecting data from the collection of small, hidden bunkers littering the area. Research was slow-going so they spent much of their time doing mundane tasks alone. Alone together. It was here that 2B had come the closest to being her true self around him. But she never managed to truly come out of her shell and 9S was hoping that would change now.

They were so busy reminiscing about it they almost walked right past their destination. There it was; a small concrete structure about half the size of a storage container, partly buried under dirt and trees. It had a thick metal door on the front and a small, dirty window on the side that wasn't covered in plant life. They both approached it almost hesitantly and 2B pushed the heavy door open to reveal a single dark room. The furnishings were sparse: two beds, one parallel against the back wall and another up against the back right corner. There was a dilapidated old dresser under the single window and a desk with a partly missing leg being propped up by a ripped out tree stump to the left of it. Across from the window was a simple, grimy mirror roughly the same size, which helped illuminate the dim room ever so slightly more.

2B let out a deep sigh. “It's just like I remember it.” She walked back and set her stuff on the bed. She opened the chest and removed the final lunar tear. It had held up surprisingly well throughout the journey, which had come as a welcome relief to her. With the flower in one hand, and 9S's hand in the other, 2B placed the last flower on the dresser beneath the window; small motes of dust flew up and sparkled in the sunlight as the can displaced the air.

“We've been through so much together.” She began. “Thank you, for staying with me through all of it.” She turned towards 9S and wrapped her arms around him in a soft embrace. He returned the hug, resting his cheek on her shoulder and closing his eyes. Despite the fact that these hugs were almost common now, he still welcomed each and every one like it was the first.

“Thank you for not giving up on me 2B. Thank you for pushing on when you could have passed me along to another E unit. Thank you for keeping your promise and helping me get my memories back. Thank you, for everything.” He felt the emotions well up in his chest and it took all of his might to not hug her with all his strength. _Although it's not like I could hurt her even if I did put all my muscles into it heh._

“Hey Nines.”

“Hm?”

“How would you feel if we were to stay here for a while, just the two of us. We could do a lot of the things we never had time to do before, and it'd be nice to just finally be able to relax for a while.”

9S pulled back and locked eyes with her. “I was hoping you'd ask that, yes that sounds great! We could even get a head start on relaxing too. My feet are killing me.” He shifted his eyes toward the bed and back a few times.

“Haha Nines.” She smiled. “Mine are too, let's get some rest.” 2B slipped her an arm behind 9S's thighs and hoisted him up, carrying him to bed. He squeaked in shock but didn't protest as she gently laid him down and slid in next to him. They sidled up close to each other, wrapping their arms around each other and gently pressing their noses together. 9S began talking about what he planned to do with her during their stay but before long 2B was out like a light. 9S smiled and kissed her forehead before falling asleep just seconds later; dreaming about the bright future that lay ahead of them.


	6. Sin_01.txt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 9S wonders if he did the right thing when he slept with 2B that time when he knew about her status as an E unit. He worries that he was being selfish and ended up making her job harder on her, so he brings it up with her one morning. She’s been wondering the same thing and asks to see his memory of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You bunch of sinners asked for it, and here it is. Prepare yourselves, I've never written smut before but I'm p happy with it (2B and 9S are pretty happy too if you know what I mean)

****9S awoke to the faint singing of birds flitting around outside their room. He listened to their music for a moment before opening his eyes to see 2B sleeping peacefully next to him. He reached out to stroke her cheek and push her silvery hair out of her face so he could get a better look. She stirred and stretched as her eyes slowly opened to look hazily at him. A lazy smile worked its way across her face as she reached out to do the same for him.

“Good morning Nines.” She whispered, still mostly asleep.

“Good morning 2B. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.”

“Don't apologize. The earlier I wake up, the longer I get to look at you.”

9S felt his face get red hot and he buried it in his pillow as he made an embarrassed sort of squeak. “Two Beeee.” She let out a soft chuckle and pushed his head until he was facing her again.

“Hey I wasn't done looking.” She teased.

“Yeah, yeah.” He responded, playfully.

“One affirmation will suffice.”

“Fiiiine.” He smiled and nuzzled forward, brushing his nose against hers. She hummed and began stroking his hair, much to his delight.

They lay there for a while, talking about what they planned for the day and other mundane, yet pleasant things. They ran their hands up and down each others' bare bodies; they both had been too exhausted from the previous night to be bothered to reclothe. That and he didn't really _want_ to, even if he did have the energy. He liked waking up this way now, despite it being awkward the first few times.

Just then a thought popped into his mind, a question that's been buzzing around in the back of his head and worrying him for a while now. Might as well ask it now before it begins eating away at him.

“Hey 2B?”

“Hmm?”

“Did I... Did I do the right thing? When we... had our first time together? I keep thinking about it and can't stop worrying that I just made your job harder or that I pushed you to do things that you weren't comfortable with.”

2B paused for a moment, unsure of what to say.

“I don't know really.” She said bluntly. 9S's stomach tightened but before he could say anything she continued. “I wonder the same thing myself. Was it right to do that with you knowing that one day I might have to take it away again? I've wondered that about every happy memory we've shared really.” She reached back up and began softly stroking him behind his ear.

“Yeah it did make my job harder on one way; I felt so much guilt afterwards because I got to keep this memory for myself while you lost it, and so soon too. But it also gave me a small sliver of hope to help keep me going. When I realized how much you really cared about me and how hard you tried to make it such a spectacular experience for me despite knowing who I really was... it just...” She paused, unsure of how to continue.

“I needed that closeness, that intimacy; I needed that release of emotions after bottling them up for so long. So in the end, I'm glad we did that. It's no use dwelling in the past and thinking about the “what ifs”. You did everything beautifully that day; you made me feel like I was everything, and that nothing could ever go wrong again. And I'm so glad that you were able to get the memory of it back and that we're finally free to have this experience again whenever we want.”

“Heheh. Last night _was_ pretty great wasn't it?” 9S admitted as 2B nodded in agreement.

“I'm glad you feel that way though, that does take some weight off my chest.” He paused and then smirked, leaning closer to her ear to whisper: “The only weight I'd like on my chest is your naked body.”

“Niiinesss.” She huffed. “You're such a dork sometimes.”

“Whaaat. It's true!”

“Yeah, I know. And you know what else? I think I can grant that wish of yours right now.” 2B rolled over and on top of him, looking into his eyes dreamily before lowering herself down. She laid her head on his chest and slid her arms around him to hold him. 9S brought his hands up and began playing with her hair and massaging her back. She let out a contented sigh and squeezed him harder.

They didn't say anything else for the longest time; he just held her, and stroked her, and occasionally pushed his hips up slightly to enjoy the small sounds she made when he touched the space between her legs.

“9S?” She lifted herself up to gaze into his eyes.

“Yeah 2B?”

“I want you to show me your memory of that day. I want to see what you saw and feel what you felt. I want to understand you better.”

9S was slightly taken aback at the request. “Oh... uh... Of course! Like... right now?”

“If that's ok with you.”

“Yeah! Hang on let me just...” 2B pulled back to allow him to sit up. He adjusted himself and then grabbed their sheet and threw it around themselves. “Just so we don't freeze or anything.”

He closed his eyes and searched his memory banks for the treasured memory. It wasn't hard to find of course, so he pulled it out and waited for her.

“All right, ready when you are.”

He felt 2B's presence fill his hacking space as she entered; the feeling of her being so close to him in more than one way overwhelmed the nervousness he previously felt about what he was about to show her. _Ok. Here goes nothing._

* * *

 An endless view of greens and browns came into focus. They were walking through the same forest that surrounded them where they were in the present. He was chatting about some of the things he discovered that day and 2B listened contentedly. He stopped talking for a while, and he walked in silence next to her, smiling and marveling how wonderful she looked, despite having beat the shit out of a dozen machines not half an hour ago. He didn't even realize how close he got to her until his hand bumped hers and he jumped back in shock.

“Ah, sorry, sorry!” He gasped.

“You're fine.” She smiled back at him. He coughed and let out a shy grin, silently hoping the rising temperature of his face wasn't visible.

9S could see the small building come into view and he picked up the pace, eager to sit down for the first time in hours and analyze the data they collected.

It was such a plain little shack, but even so, he had the urge to call it “home”. The two of them had spent several months in the area and he had gotten used to coming back to the same place with a nice bed waiting for him. It was also a chance to spend some time alone with 2B; even though they didn't always talk much, just being in her presence made him happy. She had been warming up to him recently and he kept hoping she would stop being afraid of showing her emotions, because damn, did he really love seeing her smile.

He opened the door and immediately ran to his bed and flopped face down onto the pillow, breathing in the sweet scent of sleep. His boots flew off his feet and he heard them clunk on the floor nearby. By that time 2B had also reached her bed and began removing her heels; 9S wondered, probably for the thousandth time, how she managed to get around in those things without snapping her ankles. He was equal parts impressed at her ability and glad he didn't have to wear something like that too.

“Oh 2B,” he said, taking off his gloves and moving his fingers around as they enjoyed the freedom, “it's been a few days, I think it's probably a good time to help you with maintenance.”

“Right, nothing noticeable to report, but we can never be too careful.” She said as 9S began digging through his bag for his tools.

She held out her hand and he began tugging off one glove, and started feeling around the joints for any problems. Everything seemed fine, her hands were so soft and warm, wait, no those aren't the words to use in a maintenance report. He didn't notice he had stopped checking her and was just staring, holding her hand in his.

“9S?” She questioned.

“What? Oh, sorry.” He coughed and began with her other hand, taking care to not get distracted this time. “Everything seems fine here, let's do your back now.”

She nodded and laid face down on the bed as 9S began checking her body for any external wear or damage, while his pod scanned her for any internal abnormalities. His fingers slid gracefully across her skin, gingerly testing any pressure points for issues.

Lately he's been feeling... different... whenever it was time to perform maintenance. A feeling of longing washed over him every time he felt the warmth of her body on his hands; and with that came the feeling of guilt shortly after. He's not supposed to feel this way, it was just maintenance. He just needs to keep her in top working order for when the time comes for her to... well...

He's seen things; flashes of her memories caught his attention when he was ridding her of a logic virus not long ago. By then he had figured out her original designation as 2E and had already resigned himself to his eventual fate. But learning about how much it pained her to kill him over and over just made him want to get that much closer to her; to hold her, and love her, and let her know that it was all ok.

He didn't see much when he looked inside her, but the fragments he did see somehow managed to awaken bits of his own memories that were supposed to be long erased. He remembers seeing her clutch his body and cry as he faded away in her arms. He remembers meeting her at least once... twice? before and wonders how many times they've gotten to know each other in the past. It's always been the same hasn't it? They meet. She's cold towards him. She warms up to him. She kills him. She screams and cries. Over and over, rinse and repeat.

The way she's acted towards him since they've “met” this time makes more sense to him now. Like the times when they first started working together, she began talking to him as if he were an old friend, but catch herself and revert back to her cold demeanor. Or the times hes caught her looking at him dreamily and smiling when he was running around chasing butterflies to record data on them, only to shake her head and start lecturing him about wasting time. Or all the times she nearly went into hysterics when he got injured despite just ten minutes prior going on about emotions being prohibited.

She's killed him before, and she'll kill him again. And that's ok with him; he'd gladly die a thousand times if it meant he could keep meeting her. Maybe one day, when the war is over, they could finally be together, they could finally be free. Maybe one day he'll touch her and it would be for more than just maintenance. _No, no that's not right. We're partners and that's it. I mean... I know we've had a history together and that she likes being around me, but I don't know if she “like likes” me. I mean... even if she does feel the same way it's not like she would want to do anything with me like that right?_

“9S, is everything ok?” 2B's voice cut through his thoughts and brought him back to reality. “You've been staring at my back for like 3 minutes, is there something wrong?”

“Oh uh, no everything's fine 2B! I was just thinking about our mission today, yeah.” _Well that was convincing._ He cursed himself at getting lost in thought while staring straight at her. “Nothing seems out of place, maintenance complete.”

“You haven't even checked my legs yet. Are you sure you're ok? Is there... something you want to talk about?”

 _You mean about the murder or about the uncomfortable feeling I get between my legs every time we touch?_ “I'm fine, really. I just got lost in thought thinking about how fascinating the old world data I discovered today was.” _Goddamit, it probably didn't fool her then, it's still not gonna fool her now._

“If you say so... Hmm. 9S?” She asked, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed so she was sitting next to him on the edge.

“Yeah 2B?”

“I just wanted to say thank you. For being so good at performing maintenance. I've had plenty of other androids do it before, but they're always so stiff and rushed. But you, you're... so gentle and careful. You don't treat me like _just another job_.”

 _Huh?_ 9S could feel his pulse rate rising even faster. _Was that... a compliment? Where did this come from?_ “Oh uh. Thank you! I mean, well, yeah, we 9S models are the best around! P-plus, you're my partner, I want you to like working with me.” _Ok calm down. She's complimented you before... well not like this though._

“I just thought you should know how much I appreciate you.” She said, leaning closer.

“Alert,” Pod 153's voice blared into their ears, “cardiac output of Unit 9S is increasing at an alarming rate. Proposal: cease current activity until cardiac function has returned to normal.”

“P-POD!” He squeaked. “Pod I order you to enter standby until further notice.”

“Affirmative. Goodnight 9S.”

2B put her hand over her mouth to hold back a laugh. Her shoulders shook as she fought back tears.

 _Oh God why me?_ Thought 9S. This was surely going to ruin any chances he had with her. _Please heart just give out on me already and spare me the pain._ He doubled over and hid his head in his hands, trying to be as small as possible, as if that would somehow make her forget that just happened.

2B's laughing subsided as she sighed and laid her hand lightly on the back of his head. He flinched, but slowly turned to look at her. She had taken her visor off and was smiling at him. But it wasn't a cruel, mocking smile like he half expected to be. It was... soft... and kind... just like her misty-blue eyes.

“9S?” Her voice was as soft as her smile.

“Y-yeah?” He choked out.

“What do you think of me?”

“Err... like what do you mean?”

“Like, as a person?”

“Oh... uh... well... I mean... I like being around you. And uh...” 9S took a deep breath before continuing. “It can get lonely, and dangerous as a scanner model, so it's nice to have someone here with me, especially someone as strong as you!” He shifted around nervously in his seat. _Just spill it boy._

“2B, you come off as cold and uncaring at first but I know deep down you're a really kind person and I... I uh... want to see that side of you more. You've been a lot nicer to me lately and I like that feeling. Forget what the Commander says about emotions being prohibited blahblahblah. Nobody ever follows that rule anyway, it's unfair and pointless! I... want you to be happy. I... want you to be yourself. I... want you to enjoy being around me the same way I enjoy being around you. And...” He looked down and started fidgeting with the hem of his pants.

“9S.” 2B reached around him and undid his visor, letting it fall to his lap. She pulled her hands back slowly, resting one on his shoulder, and with the other she delicately ran a finger down his chin, pushing it up gently until his eyes met hers.

“I already do enjoy being around you. Truly.”

“2B.” Her name came out as barely more than a whisper. He so desperately wanted to reach out and touch her but the fear of misreading her intentions and overstepping his boundaries kept his hand still. _Oh what the hell else could she be trying to do? 'Oh 9S, I just wanted to tell you that there was something on your face. Ok fixed now get back to work.' Yeah. No._

“2B.” He repeated. “I...” It felt as if some unseen force was pulling him closer to her, and she seemed to be gravitating towards him as well. The hand on his chin slid back and came to rest on the back of his head, fingers intertwined with his hair. They stopped; their lips were mere centimeters apart and he could feel her hot breath on his face. They sat frozen in silence; eyes still locked, faces a matching shade of rosy pink.

Slowly, and with great effort, 9S pulled his hand up and around to the small of her back and cautiously slid it up until the tips of his fingers slid over her shoulder. She let out a small sigh, almost unnoticeable if his face wasn't close enough to feel the slight puff of air. Still, their heads remained frozen. The tension was almost unbearable. _Shit. Someone's going to have to make a move._  

This was it. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled just hard enough. 2B came forward, lips brushing lightly against his before he jumped back slightly in shock. _That was..._ He opened his eyes again slowly, meeting her gaze once again. Her eyes were half closed and she was still smiling at him softly.

He smiled back nervously and before he knew it, 2B's grip tightened on his shoulder and he was pulled back towards her. The kiss was stronger this time; more confident. Her lips burned into his and he felt as if he was melting into her. His free hand came up against her lower back and he began massaging her shoulder with the other.

He pulled back again for a split second to catch his breath but went right back in, pushing harder against her and rubbing his hand up and down her back while she ran her fingers through his hair and behind his neck. Another new sensation grazed his lips, warm and wet, and he happily opened his mouth to let it inside. Her tongue slid against his and he shuddered without thinking but pushed his back against hers, in and out, in and out.

2B pulled out and ran one hand down his back to the back of his thigh and hoisted him up, sliding him up against the wall so she could face him directly. She grabbed his socks and pulled them both off, tossing them unceremoniously behind her; he probably will never be able to find where they landed after they flew in unknown directions. He didn't have much time to think about that as she began peeling her stockings off slowly, one by one, exposing her smooth, bare legs.

She ran a finger up his foot lightly and he jerked back and laughed involuntarily at the confusing sensation. Before he could react further, 2B had come back up on the bed and planted herself on his lap, her legs slid up against his as she made herself comfortable. He felt a... sensation between his legs pushing up against his shorts and was almost thankful 2B's knees hit the wall and prevented her from scooting up any closer to it. Although at this point it seemed pretty clear she wouldn't mind having it pressing up against her.

Androids are all created as blank slates, the skin under their clothing all resembling dolls from past civilizations. Despite that, many androids chose to request changes to their bodies to add specific genitalia for whatever reason. 9S had requested some of his own as a way to help fight the boredom and loneliness from going on so many solo missions before meeting 2B. He wondered if she has done the same for herself, and secretly hopes that she chose to get the parts compatible with his. Although it didn't really matter in the end; if they were really about to go through with this they'd find a way to make it work, whatever parts she had under her leotard.  He had two hands and a mouth for a reason.

“2B?” He murmured.

“Yes 9S?”

“Thank you. For being my partner. I couldn't ask for anyone better.” He leaned forward to rest his head on her chest. She didn't respond right away and he worries he might have pinched a nerve considering what her real job was. But soon enough, her hands come up behind his back again and pulled him closer to her as she leans down and rests her lips against the top of his head.

“I'm glad. You have no idea how much those words mean to me 9S.”

He didn't know how to respond, instead, he just wrapped his arms around her and returned the embrace. Her words made him feel braver though and he moved his hands down to grip her waist and shift them both to the side so they could stretch out completely if and when the time came. She took the opportunity to inch forward until she was completely straddling his hips; he could feel the space between her legs pressing down on the bulge in his pants. If she wasn't aware of it before, she was definitely aware of it now.

2B leaned back and started undoing the buttons on his shirt until it slid gracefully off him. She then balled it up in her hands and tossed it to the side and it fluttered down to its final resting place near the door. He didn't have time to feel self conscious about his scrawny frame as she leaned forward and began kissing him repeatedly on the chest, working her way up his neck to reunite with his lips and kiss him passionately, again and again. She shifted her hips slightly and 9S let out a gasp and tensed up as she slid across him. _That felt... nice._

He looked up at her and into her eyes once again. Her smile quickly turned into a smirk as she thrust her hips forward again, ever so slightly. He gasped once more and curled his fingers across her back. He slid them to the edge of the keyhole on her shirt and fingered the space between the fabric and her skin, working his way around the gap. Again she thrust, a little harder this time. And again. And again. He could feel a tingling sensation between his legs, moving outward every time she moved her hips. He couldn't hold it back any more so he pushed himself up to meet her, a little harder than he was aiming to. The soft moan she let out afterwards signaled that she didn't seem to mind the force. So he moved up again.

 _This is what she wants. This is what I want. One day, I'm going to die. One day she's going to scream and cry over my lifeless body. But today. Today, I'm going to make her forget about that; all the pain and anguish, I'll do whatever I can to make that go away, even if only for a short while._ He clutched his chest instinctively as his mind wandered to the sleeping virus buried deep within his code. The virus that one day he'll use on himself to end it quickly to spare her the pain of doing it herself.

“9S is there something wrong?” Her voice brought him back into reality.

“No, no, I'm just... this is... I didn't think this would ever happen.” He pushed up again slowly and savored the soft contented noises that came out of her.

“Neither did I, but I'm glad it is.”

“Yeah, me too.” _Me too._ He ran his hand down her back and weaved his fingers through the ribbon keeping her skirt on. He looked up at her expectantly and she nodded, approvingly. With little hesitation, he tugged at the fabric until it came loose and her skirt fell. He was amazed at how she managed to keep it on during battle when such a light tug from him made it fall right off. But now wasn't the time to think about the physics of her clothing, so he pulled her skirt away and tossed it off to the side.

2B then took 9S's hand and led it to the nearly-hidden zipper at the base of her shirt. Together they pulled it up and away and it began to slide off of her. 9S began helping it along with his free hand, the sleeves glided across her arms until he liberated them from her hands.

Once her arms were free from the oppressive fabric, she quickly reached down and began unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. She lifted herself off him and he pushed himself up slightly so she could pull them down and send them to join all the other articles of clothing scattered across the room. All that was left on the two was her stark white leotard contrasting against his deep black boxers.

She pulled him back into a kiss and he pushed back harder, shoving his tongue deep into her mouth and feeling everything he could reach. He still was almost in a state of disbelief that this was actually happening and that she seemed to be wanting it just as much as he did. He pushed, and pushed, never breaking the kiss, until she fell back on the bed, causing her legs to fly up in the air momentarily. She gasped as her back hit the mattress and pulled away from the kiss, giving him a sly smile before running her hands down his back to grip his boxers and slide them down his legs.

9S could feel his face get hot and red as his erection was exposed for all to see, but he continued on, kicking the boxers completely off once 2B couldn't reach any further. Her hand came around and teased the area around it, not quite touching it, but making him shiver in delight even so.

“9S.” She whispered as she brought her hands up to rest on his shoulders.

“Yeah 2B?”

She grabbed him harder and pushed him to the side, effortlessly flipping them completely over so that she was on top this time. His head spun and it took him a few seconds to reorient himself and before he knew it her tongue was back in his mouth and she had lowered herself on top of him. He could feel the warm dampness coming through her leotard as she pressed up against his length. _I guess that answers my question from earlier._ The feeling in his crotch was becoming nearly unbearable and he desperately wanted to get that last article of clothing off of her so they could get to it already.

“That's better.” She breathed. “Now it's your turn.” Her hand tugged at the top of her leotard and she bit her lip, looking at him with dreamy eyes. This was it, the final thing separating them from what he's dreamed of for so long. His hands came up and he began peeling it down; one arm came through and landed by his head, and then the other. He pulled as far as he could and she began helping it along in the same motion he did when he couldn't reach further.

Finally, it was free and he could gaze upon the entirety of her frame. She really was beautiful, amazing, gorgeous. He already knew that before but seeing her like this just put her in a whole new light. Her silvery hair, the curve of her body, the softness of her skin. All he wanted to do now was breathe in her scent and touch every inch of her and make her scream his name over and over.

“2B.” He groaned. The pressure was almost unbearable.

“Are you ready?” She whispered in his ear.

“Yes, yes, please 2B.” _Oh God please._

She smiled, kissed him lightly on the lips, leaned back, and began lowering herself onto him. His fingers and toes curled and he couldn't hold back a lewd moan as she slid down almost agonizingly slowly. It was almost as if he was made just for her, and she for him; as he fit inside her perfectly, just tight enough. He looked up at her and her eyes were tightly shut and she was breathing hard as she finished sliding down. They relaxed, and she opened her eyes to meet his gaze; she blinked slowly and he could feel her emotions flowing out of her and into him.

“2B.” Shit was that all he could say now?

“9S.”

“2B I... this is... hahah...” He sighed.

“Shh 9S. We haven't even started yet.” She began rocking her hips after those words, slowly, gently. He waited, breathing hard and fast as she found a rhythm that suited her. He brought his hands up to her shoulders and began massaging them, trying to relieve the tension building up inside. She relaxed slightly and began rocking faster and more confidently. The soft sighs she made every time she came back down on him was like music to his ears.

When she seemed satisfied in her rhythm, 9S began moving his hips to meet her. Their soft moans became a beautiful duet as they continued exploring each others' bodies. The feeling was indescribable, he almost couldn't process it. They weren't created to feel like this but here they were, together, locked in a ritual that was supposed to be reserved for things that were truly alive. _Bullshit._ He thought. They _were_ truly alive. Who cares if the code that made them was made up of 0s and 1s instead of As and Ts and Cs and Gs. They deserved this as much as any human ever did.

“9S.” She reached up to one of his hands and led it down to the space where their bodies became one. He took the hint and began fingering around until he found the swollen, needy lump that was waiting for him. Not quite sure what to do, he began running his thumb over it lightly, keeping a close eye on 2B to try to glean any hints from her facial expressions. It was a bit challenging to keep track of everything he was doing, but he didn't care, he'll do whatever it takes for her to be happy.

“Keep going, please.” She breathed. _Yes, yes 2B, I'll do anything you say._ He pressed down harder, and moved his thumb around in a circular motion, causing her to let out what sounded like a squeak. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth, but began laughing at the ridiculousness of it; he could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Her laugh was contagious and 9S began to giggle as well but was quickly silenced by her mouth on his. He melted back into her and kissed back fiercely, passionately.

He began rocking his hips into her and exploring around with his hand once again while still keeping his lips locked tightly with hers. They continued this for a while, just savoring the closeness and intimacy they've both been long waiting for; only breaking the kiss to direct the other to a sweeter spot or to whisper sweet compliments into the others' ear. He almost felt like crying, the emotions flowed through him almost as strong as the physical pleasure he was feeling.

“9...S...” She gasped as she pulled her head back from him.

With no more warning, she began riding him harder and faster, pushing down with all her strength, almost to the point of pain; pain that was masked by the pleasure flowing through him faster than a stormy river. She screamed his name, again and again as her walls closed in on him with near crushing force as her orgasm hit.

The friction and noises triggered something inside him and without time to prepare, he came, twitching upward and gasping for breath. His fingers dug into her back and on her hip and he pulled himself up, burying his face in her breasts. An arm came around him and pulled him closer as they both called out to each other and bucked desperately against the other, doing everything they could to prolong each others' climax.

Slowly that feeling began to fade and their bodies slowed and they were left holding each other in their arms, breathing heavily and trembling from exhaustion. 2B collapsed on top of him and buried her face in his neck, whispering his name into his ear. He shivered and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he tried to process everything that just happened.

When he regained some motor control, he slid out of her and shifted them both to their sides so he could look into her stormy eyes once more. Her hair was a mess and was flowing in every direction, so he smiled and reached out to brush it from her face and behind her ears. They lay there in silence, just enjoying basking in each others' presence and losing themselves in the others' eyes.

“Wow.” The word came out of him as barely more than a whisper.

“Wow? Is that all you can say Mr. Chatterbox?” She teased.

He huffed and squeezed her tighter. “Heh. There's... a million things I can say... but they all escape me. So... Wow. Wow this. Wow you. Wow... you.”

“Wow you too.” She replied. “I never realized I could feel so many things at once; good things, amazing things. You were brilliant.”

“You were too. I don't want this moment to end. Please never let go of me 2B.”

“That would be impractical, we'll have to get back to the mission eventually.”

“Pfft. Let's pretend we don't. I don't want to think about anything but you right now.”

“Neither do I.” She pulled him closer and rested her head on his chest. “Neither do I.”

He smiled and closed his eyes, listening to her soft breathing. Whatever happens in the future may be dark, it may throw them into the pits of despair, but it won't change what happened now, it won't change how he feels about her now, in this moment. He may forget this, he may forget _her._ But he knows one day he'll get it all back, no matter how long it takes.

Exhaustion took over and his senses started going dark. He whispered her name one more time before sleep took him over.

* * *

 The memory faded and he felt 2B leave his hacking space. He opened his eyes to see 2B smiling wider than he's ever seen her before, with tears running down her face, unable to contain her emotions. He reached up to wipe them away and she sighed dreamily.

“Nines.” She breathed. “I love you... so much. Thank you.”

“I love you too. More than anything.”

“You were amazing, and still are. You were so loving and kind despite knowing everything you did. I just feel... like I didn't deserve any of it because of how much I hurt you.”

“2B no. You deserve everything I can give you, and more. I've told you before, there's no other person I'd rather have do it than you. It was inevitable, you had no other choice.”

“I know... It's just hard to shake that feeling, even now.”

“Yeah, I understand. I hope one day you can forgive yourself. For me? I'll do whatever it takes to help you along.”

“For you, I will do anything... even if it may take a long time to get there.” She pulled him into an embrace and held him there in silence. The warmth of her body will never get old.

“That was... a whole new experience,” she breathed, “it almost felt as if I was there. It was a completely different feeling. I liked it. A lot.”

“Now you've gotten me curious. You're gonna have to show me your side of that story too.”

“Hmm. Maybe later. Now, I want something _fresh._ ” Her hand moved up his leg and teased the area around his crotch, much in the same way she did before. He leaned forward, onto her and they began the cycle anew, with the same love, the same emotions, but with a new feeling of freedom that permeated their entire beings.


	7. Relapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2B and 9S start getting frisky one day after a stressful mission and she accidentally reawakens painful memories in him that he thought he had moved past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I purposefully didn't specify where they were since this could really fit anywhere in this timeline, or even stand alone as it's own one-shot.  
> I mostly wrote this for myself because I wanted to write a properly handled panic attack because oh boy did that never happen in my life ho ho ha ha!  
> Anyway, as you may have figured, this chapter will have a detailed depiction of a panic attack so just a warning if that bothers you.

_2B and 9S hacked and slashed their way through the machine horde. They had received news from Anemone about a hostile group harassing an allied camp nearby and agreed to investigate and dispatch anything they saw. The enemies fell easily against the onslaught of sword strikes and scanner hacks. They never let their guard down; you can never be too careful against machines anymore._

 

The two androids arrived back at their little room and flopped down on the bed. They both were exhausted after a long day and were eager to relax and de-stress. The scanner sidled up behind the combat model and wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. She let out a relaxed sigh as she reached behind her, wrapping her arms around his back as well.

 

_After the last machine fell and the forest went silent, they began hearing strange wheezing sounds coming from the bushes nearby. They peered over to find a lone android lying broken and battered on the cold ground._

 

9S released his grip and 2B turned to face him, looking deep into his eyes before locking lips in a slow, sweet kiss. An uncomfortable feeling was churning in the pit of his stomach, but he ignored it, instead, focusing on her warm hands running up and down his back as they dug into all his favorite spots.

 

_They ran to the android's aid. Both their legs were missing from the knee down, their clothes were torn, arms mangled, and face nearly caved in. The android opened their one remaining eye; a deep crimson light shone out and they began weakly clawing at the air in front of 9S in an attempt to attack. A low, guttural call leaked out of their throat._

 

2B reached down to remove her boots and socks before scooting up even closer to 9S, wrapping her legs around him and rubbing up against him. She leaned forward, lips brushing against his ear, and began whispering all the lewd things she planned on doing to him that evening, sending shivers of delight down his spine.

 

_“I don't think there's much we can do.” 9S said in a defeated tone. “It looks like they've been infected for a while and are just running out of power.” He paused for a moment. “I think the best course of action is to just...”_

 

9S leaned back and softly brought his hands up to her face, sliding up her cheeks to massage her scalp and play with her hair. 2B mirrored him, curling his silver locks around her fingers and rubbing behind his ears and...

 

_2B nodded, understandingly. He didn't need to finish his sentence for her to know what to do. She reached out to the android and..._

 

...slid her hands out of his hair, and down his face with the intention of having them come to rest on his shoulders to work out the tension that was building up. Her hands grazed his throat on the way down and the uneasy feeling from earlier tore it's way back ten fold, slamming into his stomach like a freight train.

 

_...wrapped her hands around their throat and squeezed, snapping their neck almost instantly. The light faded from their eye and they went still. 9S's hand went up to grip his throat instinctively and an uncomfortable feeling began to worm its way through his gut._

 

“NO!” He screamed out as he jerked his whole body back, nearly falling off the bed.

“9S?! 9S what's wrong?” Even though she was right next to him, her voice felt distorted and distant, yet loud at the same time. She reached out to comfort him but he yelped and pulled back again. He doubled over, face in his lap, and gripped the back of his neck and head.

Memories were flooding through him, every time he was killed, by her. _No. no. Why this?_ They swirled around him, digging through the corner of his mind. _Why am I? It wasn't her fault!_ Choked. Shot. Stabbed. Infected. Again and again.

His head burned and he could feel his airways constrict. His whole body began to shake as he fought for breath. _Stop it. Stop it PLEASE._ But the storm wouldn't subside.

“Pod scan 9S for viru--” He could hear 2B's voice, metallic and grating.

“It's not that... it's... nghh.” The words were heavy on his tongue.

“...It was me touching your neck wasn't it?”

9S groaned and continued breathing rapidly.

“Why... why now?” He panted. “I thought... I was... getting better.”

“Nines, I'm so sorry I shoul--”

“Alert:” Pod 153 blared out, “cardiac rate of Unit 9S has increased to dangerous levels. Black box temperature rising. Proposal: cease current activity to bring levels back to normal.”

“Pod, bring me some water.” _Too much noise._

“Affirmative.” _Stop._

“Nines, it's gonna be ok, I'm here. I can--”

“Stop talking!” He barked, but flinched at his own volume. “S-sorry. Every...thing's so loud, so loud. It's just, too much... in my head. Aagh.”

2B waited, silently. 9S could feel her growing discomfort through all the rushing thoughts, and desperately tried to push them away but to no avail. He started sobbing in between his labored breaths and his vision began to cloud and dim. _Just go away. I don't want to think about this right now._

“Nines, let me help, I'm coming in.” She said as softly as she could.

“W-wai-” But it was too late, she had already slipped into his hacking space. He pushed his memories as far away from her as he could, but he knew he couldn't hold them back for long.

“Is my voice better like this?”

“Yeah... yeah it is... But 2B please... I don't want... you seeing this. I'm sorry, I don't want... to hurt you too.”

“Nines, it's my fault this happened, so I'm here to fix what I messed up. I don't care how upsetting it is to me. Please.”

9S didn't respond.

“But,” she continued, “if you really don't want me to see, and just need some silence and space, then that's ok too. I'm... sorry if I pushed too much.”

“W-wait... I'll show you...” Even though he was anxious about letting her look, he still felt some comfort in her being there with him. The thought of being alone with his thoughts was even scarier.

He released the tide of memories and they hit 2B full force. She gasped and tensed up as they rushed over her but she didn't withdraw herself. The pain eased up slightly as many of them swarmed around her instead, but a feeling of guilt was worming it's way around him now that 2B was facing it too.

“It still hurts you that much?” She breathed. “I'm so sorry Nines.”

He shook his head. “They didn't before... but now. It hurts. I can't... st—stop it. I don't want this, I don't want this, I don't want this!” The memories began rushing even faster and became more fragmented. “Shit. Stop it!” His whole body shook. “I was... getting better.”

“Nines, it's ok... you can't expect recovery to be a linear path can you? Nothing in life ever is. It's full of bumps and road blocks and diversions. You had a lot building up inside you and it had to come to a head today because I was being careless.”

“What do I... do?” He sobbed.

“I don't know. Just... talk to me, tell me how it's making you feel and let me ride it out with you. Maybe... tackle one memory at a time. Maybe there's things you wanted to say before... that you weren't able to.”

9S sniffed and took a few deep breaths before continuing. “I ca-- I can't focus on just one. They're slowing down a bit. B-but...

“Why was it you? Why'd they make you do it? I didn't... you... ugh... You're too kind 2B. You didn't deserve to be shoved in that position. N-neither of us did. Neither of-- But... I wanted it to be you, because I got to... be with you more. But I was scared. Dying and losing my memories over and over. And your face... the last thing I saw. Don't cry 2B, we'll meet again. Wait. Wait no. I'm not making sense. 2B say something!”

“I'm here, I'm listening Nines. It's okay. It's all in the past, it won't ever happen again. I won't ever have to hurt you, or kill you in any way ever again. These hands,” She held them out towards him, “they'll only be used to love you and protect you from now on. Never to harm you.”

“Y-yeah, I know.” The memories weren't flying around quite as aggressively, and he could feel his chest get just a bit lighter with every breath. “I know.” He lifted his head up and looked at 2B. She was gripping a bottle of water and had a pained expression on her face, but smiled softly when she caught his eye. She held out the container to him and he took it after staring for a moment and choked it down as fast as he could. It was just regular water but it never tasted so good, washing down his parched throat and cooling his black box significantly. He coughed and sputtered as he inhaled some of it into his lungs, but kept drinking until it was all gone.

2B reached partway out to his tear-streaked face and paused. “Can I...?” She said aloud. 9S sniffed again and practically threw himself on her, burying his face in her chest and sobbing loudly. Her hands came around to rest lightly on his lower back to calm his still-trembling body.

“Your hands are so warm... Just like that time... after Eve.” He let out a lengthy sigh. “I was ok that time, as well as many others, with you killing me. You didn't kill me as 2E... you did it as 2B. You did it for me, not because you were ordered to.” He squeezed her tighter. “Thank you.”

She hummed in response but didn't say anything. He couldn't really blame her for her silence though. That was a strange thing to thank someone for, wasn't it?

“2B, I think... I can handle this on my own now, you don't need to stay in there.”

“Are you sure? It still seems pretty hectic, I'm ok with staying as long as you need me.”

“Yeah. It's calming down now and I'll be ok soon. I just want you to... hold me right now and not let go.”

“All right, I can do that.” They sat like that for a long time as 9S's quiet sobs slowly subsided and his tremors grew fainter and fainter. The memories started filing back to his subconscious, bit by bit. He would deal with them more another day, now, now, he just needed rest.

When he felt significantly calmed down, he pulled back and looked 2B in the eyes and smiled at her. She reciprocated and leaned forward and they brushed their lips against each other in a soft kiss.

“Thank you.” He sighed.

“I'll always be here for you. For whatever is upsetting you... even if it's me.”

“Heh, you're really a sweet person, you know that 2B?”

“Niiines.”

“Don't deny it 2B~” He responded in a singsong voice. “You had to hide it for so long, but even before, I knew that deep down, you were really kind.”

“I'm glad you think that.” She smiled. “I really am.”

9S sighed softly and hugged her tighter. He couldn't hide his exhaustion any longer though, so he stretched and yawned loudly before lying down and curling up.

“Good idea. We can talk more about this tomorrow when you're feeling better. I wanna make sure this never happens again.” 2B said and laid down behind him, molding herself into the contours of his body and wrapping her arms around him to intertwine her fingers with his.

“Heh, that was an inconvenient time for this to happen huh? I'll make up for the... uh... interruption tomorrow, okay?”

“You don't have to make up for anything Nines...” She squeezed his hands and leaned closer to his ear. “Although that offer's too good to turn down either way.”

He let out a weak laugh. “Thought so. Goodnight 2B.”

“Goodnight Nines. Sweet dreams.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate line:
> 
> “I'm here, I'm listening Nines. It's okay. It's all in the past, it won't ever happen again. I won't ever have to hurt you, or kill you in any way ever again. These hands,” She held them out towards him, “they'll only be used to love you and protect you from now on. Never to hurt you. Unless you're into that kinda thing. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Then I'll gladly hurt you all night long baby.”


	8. Sin_02.txt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2B's perspective of chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [To anyone who doesn't care for the smut: don't worry, I'll be getting back into the plot next chapter. PREPARE FOR PAIN]

9S and 2B arrived back at their little outpost after a day of wandering around. He had gone back to his old habits in this area after curiosity got the best of him, and started searching through the abandoned buildings once more for information on the old world. 2B happily accompanied him, smiling as he rattled off facts about things she didn't quite understand, but loved hearing come from him.

They threw themselves on the bed and began undressing each other hastily. The “first time's” hesitation and awkwardness was now long gone at this point; he wormed his hand down into 2B's pants and teased the space between her legs before sliding the unneeded bit of clothing off.

He almost missed that feeling; the mix of excitement and fear of the unknown, and the cautious testing of one anothers' boundaries. Those new feelings were something he'd treasure forever, but the feelings he felt now whenever their bodies became one weren't something he was willing to give up to go back to the old ways.

The two took turns undressing each other, flinging their clothes in every direction until there was nothing but bare skin left. All the while 9S was thinking back to their first time with a sense of nostalgia as well as curiosity about how 2B experienced it.

“Say 2B?” He questioned as she ran her hands through his hair, down his neck, and along his spine. He sighed softly as he waited for a response.

“Yes Nines?”

“Do you think you can show me your memory of our first time together? I've been thinking about it all day and you did promise to show me.”

She hesitated for a moment, her smile faded slightly, for just a split second; he almost didn't notice it, but observing the small details _was_ his specialty as a scanner model. He worried if now wasn't the best time... or if there was another reason for that pause, but he didn't have a chance to think about it further when she responded.

“Of course. I'd love to.” Her smile widened and she took his hands in hers and shifted around to find a comfortable sitting position. He breathed a small sigh of relief before sitting comfortably as well and leaning onto her until their foreheads touched.

“Ready?”

“Go for it.” With that, he hacked in and quickly jumped in the memory waiting for him.

* * *

 An endless view of greens and browns came into focus. They were walking through the same forest that surrounded them where they were in the present. 9S was chatting about some of the things he discovered that day while she listened contentedly. He stopped talking for a while, and they walked in silence together; she could feel his eyes on her and she wanted to look at him too but...

Her mind wandered to the events earlier that day; she couldn't hide her smiles as he excitedly clambered around the abandoned buildings, digging up all sorts of information about the old world. She didn't care too much about the contents of his findings, but seeing him happy and so full of life always gave her such a warm feeling. If only she didn't have to... She was jolted back to reality as his hand bumped hers.

“Ah, sorry, sorry!” He gasped as he jumped back in shock. She'd be lying if she said she didn't inch closer to him in hopes of that happening.

“You're fine.” She smiled back at him. He coughed and let out a shy grin; she could see his face become faintly rosy, but he tried to hide it and picked up his pace as he saw their outpost come into view.

9S opened the door and immediately ran to his bed and flopped face down onto the pillow. He kicked his boots off, sending them flying across the room. 2B sat down on her bed and removed her heels as well, stretching her feet and enjoying the freedom after a long day of walking.

“Oh 2B, it's been a few days, I think it's probably a good time to help you with maintenance.”

“Right, nothing noticeable to report, but we can never be too careful.” She said as 9S pulled out his tools and began feeling around her hands for any abnormalities.

He stopped halfway through and just stared, gingerly holding on with his fingertips. She couldn't quite tell if he was staring because there was an issue, or for some other reason. Although, considering how he's been acting around her in the past few weeks, it was likely the latter. She had seen him a few times out of the corner of her eyes as he debated taking her hand in his. She both wanted him to muster up the courage to do it and was glad that he didn't at the same time.

“9S?” She questioned.

“What? Oh, sorry.” He coughed and let go, before starting with her other hand. He clumsily fumbled around for a moment before stopping. “Everything seems fine here, let's do your back now.”

She nodded and laid face down on the bed as his fingers slid gracefully across her skin, gingerly testing any pressure points for issues. Maintenance was always a conflicting time for her. On the one hand she enjoyed the feeling of his hands on her body and how careful and gentle he was. On the other hand she almost felt as if she were taking advantage of him because she wasn't _supposed_ to feel this way. She wasn't supposed to feel anything because emotions were prohibited.

It was her job to monitor him, and execute him whenever he accessed confidential information from the Bunker. That's it. But... it was never that easy. Nothing's ever easy. It was her job, so she wasn't supposed to feel anything. But each time, without fail, she'd feel the void in her heart open up wider after the light faded from his eyes once more.

She wasn't supposed to get close to him, she wasn't supposed to reciprocate any of the feelings he showed towards her, and this 9S has definitely shown a lot of them, especially recently. He wasn't exactly good at being subtle, even though he tried.

She just wished... that maybe just one time... it'd be ok to... No. No. It wasn't right, not when she had to... kill him and erase his memories of it. But what if this time was different; it's been almost a year since she last had to carry out her mission, when it was usually only a few months, or even a few weeks between each execution. Maybe she had finally found a way to protect him, maybe he wont go digging where he didn't belong this time. Maybe she could finally let him know how much he means to her.

2B had been so deep in thought that she only now realized that 9S had stopped touching her and was just sitting over her, staring.

“9S, is everything ok? You've been staring at my back for like 3 minutes, is there something wrong?” _Maybe he wants the same thing I do..._

“Oh uh, no everything's fine 2B! I was just thinking about our mission today, yeah.” He looked flustered and hurriedly shoved his tools back in his bag. “Nothing seems out of place, maintenance complete.” _Or maybe he knows what I really am..._

“You haven't even checked my legs yet. Are you sure you're ok?” _Maybe..._ “Is there... something you want to talk about?”

“I'm fine, really. I just got lost in thought thinking about how fascinating the old world data I discovered today was.”

“If you say so...” She wasn't convinced. “Hmm. 9S?” She asked, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed so she was sitting next to him on the edge.

“Yeah 2B?”

“I just wanted to say thank you. For being so good with performing maintenance. I've had plenty of other androids do it before, but they're always so stiff and rushed. But you, you're... so gentle. You don't treat me like _just another job_.”

9S was silent for a moment, his eyes widened slightly and she could see a hint of red on his face, just like earlier. “Oh uh. Thank you! I mean, well, yeah, we 9S models are the best around! P-plus, you're my partner, I want you to like working with me.” She couldn't help but enjoy seeing him flustered like that.

“I just thought you should know how much I appreciate you.” She said, leaning closer.

“Alert,” Pod 153's voice blared into their ears, “cardiac output of Unit 9S is increasing at an alarming rate. Proposal: cease current activity until cardiac function has returned to normal.”

“P-POD!” He squeaked. “Pod I order you to enter standby until further notice.”

“Affirmative. Goodnight 9S.”

2B put her hand over her mouth to hold back a laugh. Her shoulders shook as she fought back tears. _Fuck, he's adorable._

9S doubled over and hid his head in his hands, trying to be as small as possible, as if he were attempting to disappear from existence. _So adorable._

2B took her visor off as her laughter subsided, and wiped the tears from her eyes. She placed her hand on 9S's back and he flinched slightly before looking at her and seeing her smile gently at him. At least, she hoped it was a gentle smile. She wasn't exactly sure, since purposefully smiling wasn't exactly something she did often.

“9S?” _I have to know how he feels._

“Y-yeah?” He choked out.

“What do you think of me?”

“Err... like what do you mean?”

“Like, as a person?”

“Oh... uh... well... I mean... I like being around you. And uh...” She waited patiently as he took a deep breath and composed himself. “It can get lonely, and dangerous as a scanner model, so it's nice to have someone here with me, especially someone as strong as you!” He shifted around nervously in his seat and paused again. _Please, go on._

“2B, you come off as cold and uncaring at first but I know deep down you're a really kind person and I... I uh... want to see that side of you more. You've been a lot nicer to me lately and I like that feeling. Forget what the Commander says about emotions being prohibited blahblahblah. Nobody ever follows that rule anyway, it's unfair and pointless! I... want you to be happy. I... want you to be yourself. I... want you to enjoy being around me the same way I enjoy being around you. And...” He looked down and started fidgeting with the hem of his pants. _He's so... kind. I want him... to know how I feel too._

“9S.” 2B reached around him and undid his visor, letting it fall to his lap. His soft hair brushed across her fingers. She pulled her hands back slowly, cautiously, and rested one on his shoulder. She took her other hand and ran it lightly down his chin, and pushed it up gently to look into his eyes. They were filled with curiosity, and nervousness, and a hint of some other emotion she couldn't quite put her finger on.

“I already do enjoy being around you. Truly.”

“2B.” He breathed.

“2B.” He repeated. “I...” She leaned closer, lips parting slightly, breathing rate slightly elevated. He leaned forward too, slowly, but steadily. She slid her hand back up his chin and behind his head, wrapping her fingers in his silky hair. When their lips were not one inch apart, they stopped, and waited, looking deep into each others' eyes, searching for a hint about what their next move should be. _I should let him... that way I'll know for sure if this is the right thing._

After what seemed like an hour, 9S slowly and cautiously pulled his hand up and around to the small of her back and slid it upwards. His fingers were warm and soft as they grazed the bare skin of the keyhole in her shirt. She let out a small sigh as his fingers climbed over her shoulder and stopped. _Please._

Finally, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled on her shoulder just barely, just enough for her to move forward and brush her lips against his. He jumped back slightly in shock. _That was..._ She closed her eyes halfway as he opened his to look at her. She smiled softly at him and he reciprocated, timidly, but with a twinkle of excitement.

2B's tightened her grip on his shoulder and pulled him back towards her. This time, the kiss they shared was more confident and longer lasting. His lips were soft and hot, they almost burned but she didn't care, she loved the feeling. He moved his free hand up against her lower back and began massaging the tension from her shoulder with the other.

He pulled back again for a split second to catch his breath but went right back in, pushing harder against her and rubbing his hand up and down her back while she ran her fingers through his hair and behind his neck. She pushed her tongue against his lips and he parted them to let her slide in against his. It was such a foreign feeling, but welcome nonetheless.

After playing tonsil hockey for several minutes, she pulled out and ran one hand down his back to the back of his thigh to hoist him up and slide him up against the wall. She reached down and peeled his socks off and tossed them behind her into the unknown. He twitched slightly as her fingers brushed his feet but she didn't acknowledge it and began removing her stockings next.

His foot twitch gave her a mischievous idea and she could barely hide a smirk as she ran a finger up his bare foot lightly. He laughed and jerked his leg back in surprise. She took this chance of confusion to glide back up the bed and sit on his lap, sliding around slightly as she got comfortable.

Androids are all created as blank slates, the skin under their clothing all resembling dolls from past civilizations. Despite that, many androids chose to request changes to their bodies to add specific genitalia for whatever reason. 2B had requested some of her own as a way to help relieve the stress and distract herself from the world momentarily.

At first, she got the “easy” set; the one she could just grab on the go without worrying about a big mess on her hands or dirt and grime getting up it during intense combat. But it just didn't... _feel_ right; it was strange, and unnatural to her, so she went back and had it changed.

She didn't need to wonder what 9S had down there though, after his shorts were blown clean off during an earlier mission. That was likely... another factor that influenced her to get the change even though she knew, er, _thought_ , she'd never get to use it in that way, but she wasn't quite sure. Even if they weren't... “compatible”, they would have found a way to make it work. He had two hands and a mouth for a reason.

“2B?” He murmured.

“Yes 9S?”

“Thank you. For being my partner. I couldn't ask for anyone better.” He leaned forward to rest his head on her chest. _That's not true at all. You deserve so much better. You deserve someone who doesn't have to kill you and rip your memories from you time and time again. I've hurt you so much, yet you still believe this... hah, hahah...._ She closed her eyes and brought her hands up behind his back again to pull him in closer. She rests her lips on the crown of his head and held him there. _Stop thinking about that right now._

“I'm glad. You have no idea how much those words mean to me 9S.”

9S stayed silent, but after a moment he wrapped his arms around her and returned the embrace. Not long after, his hands slid down her sides and gripped her waist to re-position themselves on the bed. Her heart rate rose once again as she sidled up towards his groin and planted herself there. There was a clearly noticeable lump jutting upwards and pressing up between her legs, which caused her excitement levels to rise as well.

2B leaned forward with no hesitation and began kissing him on the chest; working her way upwards until she reunited with his lips. He sighed and leaned into her once more and they all but melted together. She shifted slightly to rub against his crotch and he let out a small gasp and broke the kiss to look her in the eyes once more.

She gave a soft smile, which quickly turned into a smirk as she very slightly thrust her hips forward once more to hear him make that little noise again. He didn't disappoint and she was almost pleased with herself.

9S curled his fingers across her back, then slid them to the edge of the keyhole and began running them under the fabric around it. He moved them with the same delicacy, the same care as when he used them for maintenance, but it was so different at the same time. Encouraged, she thrust again, a little harder this time. And again. And again. Getting more and more turned on by every breath he took.

In the middle of one thrust, he finally moved his own hips upward into her almost roughly. She let out a soft moan, from a mix of both surprise and arousal. _Again, please._ He took the hint and pushed up more, causing her to get even more heated.

After a moment, his thrusts grew softer and he paused, staring into space with a worried look on his face. She feared he was having doubts so she gathered the courage to speak.

“9S is there something wrong?” He jumped at the sound of her voice and looked up at her.

“No, no, I'm just... this is... I didn't think this would ever happen.” He pushed up again slowly and she let out another breathy moan.

“Neither did I, but I'm glad it is.” She worried that there was more to that pause than what he let on. But that worry faded as he moved again.

“Yeah, me too.” His hand worked its way down her back until his fingers found the ribbon holding her skirt together. She nodded approvingly when he looked up at her with those puppy-dog eyes. How could she say no to that? His smile widened and he began tugging at the fabric until it came loose and her skirt fell. He paused for a moment, but then his eyes went to her shirt.

2B knew that he would be searching for an hour for a way to remove it so she sped up the process by taking his hand in hers and leading it to the nearly-hidden zipper at the base of her shirt. She didn't let go as he pulled it up until it came free, and it began to fall. He then grabbed it and helped her pull her arms through to free her from the oppressive fabric.

Now it was her turn; she quickly reached down and began unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. They shifted around a bit so she could pull them down all the way and cast them to the side. There wasn't much left on them, just his deep black boxers contrasting against her stark white leotard.

She could feel 9S become more confident and assertive after that. He shoved his tongue deep into her mouth when she pulled him back into a kiss, feeling around and sliding it against every last corner he could reach. He continued pushing up against her, rubbing his hands all over her body and causing her to lean back inch by inch until she lost her balance and fell back on the bed. She gasped as her back hit the mattress and her legs flew into the air and fell back on the bed with a soft thud.

 _Oh I'm liking this change a lot._ 2B gave him a sly smile before grabbing his boxers and sliding them off, finally freeing his erection from it's cloth prison. She gazed at it for a moment as he finished kicking his boxers off; genitals sure did look weird, but she figured it didn't matter much since they were built for feeling, not looking. And speaking of feeling, she then ran her fingers up his leg to play with the sensitive skin surrounding it, sending a shiver down his spine.

2B didn't quite feel comfortable on her back like that. Maybe it had something to do with her being a combat model; knowing that falling on her back during battle could be fatal if not corrected quickly. Maybe she felt as if she could... protect him better if she were above him, as if to shield him from danger with her body, even though there were no machine lifeforms within several kilometers last time they checked.

She almost laughed at that thought; the only danger to him here was her... although not today... not ever again if she could help it. She could protect him this time, she was sure of it... no... she wasn't. She wasn't sure of anything. She... ughh...

2B realized her mind was wandering again, but thankfully, 9S didn't seem to notice; he was still preoccupied with her fingers dancing around his groin.

“9S.” She whispered as she brought her hands up to rest on his shoulders.

“Yeah 2B?”

She channeled the grace and strength of a combat model in order to effortlessly flip him over, reversing their position. She leaned back down into a kiss before he could reorient himself; shoving her tongue back into his mouth and pressing herself down against his cock. He let out another soft moan as she rubbed up against him with only one thin piece of fabric left separating them.

“That's better.” She breathed. “Now it's your turn.” A thought popped into her head after the flip. _I should probably recalibrate my combat settings, I don't want to accidentally shatter his pelvis or anything._

She tugged at the top of her leotard, looking at him pleadingly. He wasted no time bringing his hands up and working his fingers under the soft fabric before beginning to pull it off; stopping and waiting patiently as she slid her arms through the thin straps she called sleeves. While he was busy with that, she dove into her hacking space and fiddled around until her strength was around the same level his was. _Just to be sure. So I don't have to waste half of my energy making sure I don't kill him on accident._

When she was satisfied, she looked down at the scanner as he stretched and strained to pull her leotard further than his arms could reach. It was almost cute to see him struggle like that. She smiled, and helped him along, pulling the rest off herself.

She was naked. He was naked. Together. In the same room. And it wasn't because either of them was forced to self destruct during a mission. She almost couldn't believe it, but there he was with not a hint of cloth on him. There _she_ was, completely exposed to the cool air of their shelter and 9S's hungry eyes.

“2B.” 9S groaned.

“Are you ready?” She whispered in his ear.

“Yes, yes, please 2B.” He sounded desperate; she guessed she should hurry up. It would be unfair to make him wait any longer. Unfair to both of them.

She smiled, and leaned down to give him one more kiss before moving back to lower herself over him. The deep pressure pushing outwards in all directions as he slid inside her slowly, inch by inch, was almost too much to handle. She felt her black box heating up slightly, but she ignored it and she breathed deeply to force some cold air inside her body. She wasn't about to let that interrupt this experience.

She shut her eyes as he let out a lewd moan, and focused on how he stretched her wider than she ever did to herself. It wasn't just the physical feeling that was so blissful; she was finally, after so many years, allowing herself to feel emotions that she so desperately tried to hide. It was freeing, and she almost wanted to cry, but she pushed that bit back down before it ruined the moment.

Finally, their hips bumped against each other when she could go no further down. She exhaled and opened her eyes to see 9S gazing up at her with such a serene expression. Her eyes flitted across his features as she studied the intricate details of his face in a way she was never able to do before.

“2B.” He sighed.

“9S.”

“2B I... this is... hahah...”

“Shh 9S. We haven't even started yet.” She began rocking her hips into him, cautiously, and carefully, testing, finding a rhythm that worked for her. Their breathing increased in tandem as her strokes became smoother and more confident. 9S reached up and began massaging her shoulders, helping her relax and boosting her confidence even more.

9S began moving his hips to meet her, pushing himself up even deeper. Their soft moans became a beautiful duet as they continued exploring each others' bodies. Her fingers went up and down his chest, teasing his soft skin, making him shiver in delight.

“9S.” She reached up to one of his hands and led it down to the space where their bodies became one. He took the hint and began fingering around trying to find her clit. Every movement caused her to exhale a little more desperately. _9S it's right there, right there!_ Finally his fingers touched down and he began playing around with it experimentally and clumsily, while trying to keep the rhythm in his hips. _There we go._

“Keep going, please.” She breathed. He nodded and pressed down harder, moving his thumb around in a circular motion. _Oh that's it._ She squeaked aloud then gasped and put her hand over her mouth. _Ahh fuck._ She let out an embarrassed sort of laugh, which grew in intensity until she began tearing up. When 9S began laughing as well, 2B leaned forward and sealed his mouth off with hers, causing them both to relax and lean back into another passionate makeout session.

They continued this for a while, rocking into each other, and exploring each others' bodies with their hands and mouths. Their small room was filled with soft sounds of love and adoration as skin brushed against skin and small, needy gasps escaped their lips. She pulled back every once in a while to just look at him, to see the love flowing out of his eyes and emotion spilling from his entire being, and she hoped that just one day, this could be a regular thing they could do with no fear.

2B felt a strange feeling building up within her and radiating outward. “9...S...” She gasped as she pulled her head back from him. It was coming. She began riding him harder and faster, pushing down with all her strength, and was glad she changed her settings beforehand. Her orgasm ripped through her and she screamed his name over and over. It radiated through her entire body with the epicenter being the point where he slid in and out of her with hot friction.

It didn't take long for him to come too; he screamed as he thrust his cock upward and made a mess inside her. They grappled with each other desperately as their processors overloaded with pleasure they weren't supposed to feel. He shoved his face in her breasts and she wrapped her arm around him, pulling him closer. She bucked desperately on him and they kept screaming each others' name, desperately trying to prolong the new feeling of euphoria that saturated their entire beings.

Their bodies slowed as the feeling began to fade and they began to tire. She held him close and he her, until her trembling arm gave out and she collapsed on top of him. She buried her face in his neck and began whispering his name in his ear once more, causing him to shiver and squeeze her tighter. She didn't want to let go, _ever._ All she could think about was how this is how it should be; she was built to love him, built to protect him, but instead, she was forced to kill him, forced to betray him. But not this time, she can't let it happen again. Never again.

She let out a deep breath as 9S slid out of her and shifted them both to their sides. They gazed into each others' eyes and smiled sleepily. His hair was a mess and bits were poking out in every direction, but she didn't care. To her, it made him look even more beautiful. Plus, she couldn't complain because her hair was in no better shape as he reached out and tenderly brushed it from her eyes.

They lay there in silence for some unknown time, replaying the previous event in their heads, soaking up each others' presences, and just recovering something that took more energy out of her than hours of intense combat. She almost wondered why, but stopped caring since it didn't really matter in the end, and this way she was able to climax with him and fall asleep in his arms.

“Wow.” The word came out of him as barely more than a whisper.

“Wow? Is that all you can say Mr. Chatterbox?” She teased. _That's about all I can think of in this moment as well._

He huffed and squeezed her tighter. “Heh. There's... a million things I can say... but they all escape me. So... Wow. Wow this. Wow you. Wow... you.”

“Wow you too.” She replied. “I never realized I could feel so many things at once; good things, amazing things. You were brilliant.” _You're always brilliant._

“You were too. I don't want this moment to end. Please never let go of me 2B.” _If only._

“That would be impractical, we'll have to get back to the mission eventually.”

“Pfft. Let's pretend we don't. I don't want to think about anything but you right now.” Her heart swelled at those words.

“Neither do I.” She pulled him closer and rested her head on his chest. “Neither do I.”

She smiled and closed her eyes, listening to his soft breathing. Whatever happens in the future may be dark, it may throw them into the pits of despair, but it won't change what happened now, in this moment. She'll try her damnedest to make sure she never has to take this from him, or hurt him, no matter how unlikely success is. She knows deep down she's being delusional, that there's no way she'll be able to keep that promise to herself, but she has to just cling to that bit of hope, because really, once she lets go of 9S when they wake, what else is there to hold on to?

She heard him whisper her name one more time before falling asleep, and she held him in her arms, praying to a god she didn't believe in that one day they'll be free.

* * *

The memory went dark and 9S found himself back in hacking space. He pulled out and gazed at her and she flashed him a weak smile. He didn't know what to talk about first: The incredible feeling of experiencing that moment through her eyes, or her desperate last thoughts.

“I was a fool, wasn't I?” _Last thoughts it is then..._

“2B...” _I guess this might have been why she hesitated at first._

“I just wanted to hold you and love you so much that I let it cloud my judgment like that. I mean... I guess it did all turn out ok in the end, but I was really fooling myself when I thought I could keep that promise.” She sniffed and 9S could see tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“But...” he paused, trying to formulate the words, “you did keep your promise though. It just took a little longer than you wanted. We're here now, we're together and safe and free. It's ok that you... couldn't do that on your first try.” He pulled her into an embrace and kissed the tears from her eyes. “It's ok 2B.” He couldn't imagine the pain she felt when she got the message from command just a few hours later, even though he technically did see the memory when it happened. Still it's never the same as experiencing it himself.

“Heh, I guess you're right.” She shook her head and squeezed him back. “Sorry, that was supposed to be a good memory wasn't it? A-anyway, how did it feel?”

“Wonderful. It was so different, and it was strange to feel things in parts of me that don't even exist on my physical body. Thank you. For letting me feel what you felt.”

She sighed and curled her fingers into his back as he slid his hand down her back and around the inside of her thigh. “I'm glad.”

He thought back further, to the things 2B was thinking about during that memory. “Hahah, I never was very good at hiding my emotions was I? You read me like a book that whole time... and before.”

“No, you were pretty terrible at it, but that's one of the things I love about you.”

He blushed and became flustered all over again. “Yeah, well, you know what I love about you?”

“What's that?”

He pulled her into a brief kiss, then nuzzled her nose before responding. “Everything, of course.”

“Hahah you're such a nerd. Another thing I love about you.” She smiled and kissed him back.

“What was it you said last time 2B, after I showed you mine? That you wanted something... fresh? I think I'm feeling that way right now.” He slid his hips a little closer to her in anticipation. “Shall we get back to what we were planning earlier?”

“Niines.” She giggled. “I think you have the right idea with that. I was thinking the same thing... Hey 9S?”

“Yeah 2B?”

“Thank you. For being such a kind person. For forgiving me when I couldn't forgive myself. For... everything you've ever done for me.”

“Anything for you, I'm so glad you're here.” With that, she thrust her hips against him hungrily until he gave way and melted back into the bed, waiting for her to slide back on top of him so he could hear her scream his name once more and make her forget every bad thing that's ever happened, at least for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate lines for the ending:
> 
>  
> 
> “Oh uh... sorry it took so long to find your clit, at least I know where it is now!” He laughed, embarrassed.
> 
> “Yeah, now you better get your hand down there right now scanner boy.”
> 
> \---
> 
> “Geez 2B, you really got some enjoyment from seeing me flustered and embarrassed.”
> 
> “Why are you talking in past tense? I still do, you adorable dork.”
> 
> 9S squeaked and his face became hot once again, those little compliments never failed to get a reaction out of him.
> 
> “Y-yeah? Well you're an even more adorable dork 2B!”


	9. Accidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2B and 9S's vacation came to an abrupt end when Anemone called them back to deal with a group of machines that have been giving them problems recently. Bad shit happens y'all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's interested, [here's my to do list](https://nierly-amazing.tumblr.com/post/162814183420/my-to-do-list-is-getting-too-long-omfg-help) for future fics n stuff. Yall can use them as prompts for your own work if you want.

9S knew this dream vacation wouldn't last forever, yet he still groaned in protest when they got the inevitable call from Anemone telling them they were needed back. A group of hostile machine lifeforms had appeared a few days ago and currently blocked any attempts to access the forest area.

The trek back was uneventful; 9S was still annoyed but tried his best to hide it for 2B's sake, taking care to keep his normal happy, curious face on and babble on to her about the native flora they passed.

They arrived at the scene, after a quick rest and briefing by Anemone, to find the place swarming with stubbies and a handful of various other types scattered throughout. They sighed, and got to work, effortlessly dispatching the enemies with their respective skills. Within an hour, there were only a small handful left on the Resistance's side of the bridge.

The two androids approached a small group and pounced. 2B had decided to forgo her sword entirely for the smaller ones, instead, choosing to punt them over the edge of the ravine. “It's more fun this way” she told him, much to his amusement as he watched them get swallowed up by the inky blackness.

The remaining machines suddenly bolted in the direction of the bridge and 2B took off after them; leaving 9S behind to deal with the few stragglers that were separated from the main group. She caught up with them in the center and began knocking them all headfirst into the abyss below.

Before she could finish off the last few, a goliath biped appeared from atop the shopping center and threw itself directly at her. It crashed at the end of the bridge, snapping ropes and sending planks in all directions. It was only a split second before the entire bridge collapsed, and the darkness of the chasm swallowed 2B and the machines up.

“2B!” 9S screamed, his heart racing. He thrust his sword into the last machine and leapt into the ravine, only grabbing his pod to slow his fall at the last possible second. He followed the echoey sound of metal clashing against metal and turned the corner to find 2B standing ankle-deep in murky water as the final machine fell at her feet, riddled with sword slashes and bullet holes. Its frame landed in the puddle, sending mud splashing everywhere, including her. 9S stopped and let out a sigh of relief as he caught his breath.

“Oh thank God.” He panted. “2B don't scare me like that.” 2B smiled and began walking towards 9S.

“I'm fine Nines, it's not like these small fry could take me ouuuu...” Her sword fell from her hand and she stumbled forward, barely catching herself on the canyon wall. She coughed and scratched at her throat and she began slipping down. “Shit.” Her voice crackled like TV static.

9S's heart skipped a beat as he rushed forward and caught her before she hit the ground. He lifted her head up to see that her eyes had become a deep crimson. _Shit, no, no not again._

“Hold on 2B, I'll get this out right away.” 9S tried to hide his worry but knew there was no fooling her. He laid her down in the muck and held her upper body in his arms, the back of his mind wishing that they could have been in a better location. But he knew the virus wasn't going to wait for them to find a more dignified patch of ground to move to, so this would have to do.

He hacked into her and was met with cracks of black working their way through 2B's normally white hacking space, a typical effect of the virus.

“Ok good, this doesn't look too abnormal, I should have this out quick. Hang in there 2B.” He whispered as he began tearing out the virus. It was fast but he was faster; he knocked down its every attempt at turning 2B into a mindless killing machine. Before long, the brilliant white of her hacking space had returned.

“Ok, that should be the last of it.” He sighed.

“Alert: Virus contamination has been detected in Unit 2B's memory space. Proposal: remove immediately.” Pod 153's voice rang out through the vast area.

“Memory space?! What the hell? I already checked there!” 9S quickly accessed her memory storage and sure enough the blackness was seeping through her data, corrupting whatever it touched.

“No no no no NO! Stay the hell out of her god damn memories! These belong to her and her alone! Get away from them!” He screamed as he tore at the virus, dodging the orange and purple orbs it shot towards him with utmost skill. The virus screeched it's final cry as he beat it into nothingness.

“P-pod run another check to see if everything's gone this time.”

“Affirmative.” Replied the pod. 9S flipped through her data repeatedly, checking every last inch of her hacking space again and again.

“Virus contamination at 0%. Removal successful. Rebooting now.”

9S did one more cautionary scan before pulling out of 2B's hacking space and back into reality.

“2B? 2B can you hear me?” He whimpered. His whole body trembled as he gripped her tightly in his arms. He couldn't hold back the tears any longer and they ran down his face onto hers, mixing with the mud splattered over it.

“Yes Nines, I can hear you.” Her voice was faint but it was _her_ voice. She opened her eyes, her smokey blue--not blood-red eyes, and smiled. He smiled back and hugged her tighter. “9S You're hurting me.” She mumbled as she pushed weakly against his arms.

“Sorry, I'm so sorry.” 9S released his grip. He hadn't realized how hard he was squeezing her but he could faintly see red marks on her arms when he shifted his away.

“Thank you for saving me.” Her motor functions were coming back online and she sat up and wrapped her arms around him; resting her chin on his shoulder. “Haha, I should have known that was a trap, I'm glad you were here to fix my mistake.” 9S felt the guilt punch him in the gut. _Mostly fix._ He thought.

“2B I'm s-sorry, they got into your memories and corrupted some of them. I s-stopped it before they did a lot of damage but I don't know w-what they destroyed. I'll help you get them back though, it'll be fine. It'll be fine!” Those words were as much to reassure himself as they were to her. “I'm so sorry I wasn't fast enough to save all of them.”

“Oh.” She paused before letting out a weak laugh. “Is this what the humans used to call Karma?”

“2B don't say that!” He sobbed. “You didn't deserve this. Come on, let's go back to camp to rest and get you some new clothes. The pods didn't detect any hostiles nearby so that might be the last of them for now. It's not like we can check for anything else now that the bridge is down. We can take the long way around once you've recovered all the way. Can you stand?”

“Heh, thank you Nines.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Yeah I think I can walk now.” He helped her up and checked all over for any physical injuries. When he gave her the all clear they started heading back; his arm was around her, offering support, but thankfully, it didn't seem like she needed it that badly.

* * *

The two exhausted androids returned to the Resistance Camp, still covered in oil and grime and looking like death. They paid no attention the the questioning glances of nearby members as they approached Anemone and relayed their progress before heading back to their room.

9S so badly wanted to throw himself on the bed right away but he knew what a pain it would be to clean if he smeared his muddy body against the fresh white sheets. So he started running a bath for them, tossing in some dried herbs he collected during his travels. Another good thing about sleeping in the same bed as 2B is that they had no need for a second one, and that extra space was just begging to have a tub installed.

He turned and began helping 2B out of her clothes. She didn't _need_ the help by then, but he still wanted to do it, and by the look on her face, she wanted the same thing. She, in turn, began undressing him as well, smoothing back his hair with her fingers after she tossed his shirt aside. She smiled and pressed her forehead against his before pushing him towards the bath.

They settled into the tub together; 2B leaned up against him and rested her head on his chest, reaching underneath to rub the caked-on grime away from his legs. 9S took a wash cloth and began massaging her with a soapy lather, taking care not to cause her any more discomfort or pain than she already went through today.

They took turns cleaning the dirt off each other; shifting around multiple times to reach every possible spot that needed it before settling back in their original position.

“Hey Nines, are you ok?” 2B said after a short silence.

“Why are you asking me that? You were the one that got hurt.”

“I know, but I'm asking _you._ You were pretty shaken up afterwards and I want to know if you're all right now.”

“Well yeah, that was terrifying. I mean, I could have lost you again.” He dug his fingers gently into her shoulders, causing her to let out a relaxed sigh and stretch out slightly. “And your memories. Do you know which ones are missing?”

“A few of them, ones that were partially corrupted should be easy to restore. Some of them are just incomprehensible noise now so I don't think I can figure out where and when they happened easily. It's ok though, I still remember the important ones. I still remember you Nines, I still remember meeting you, and spending time with you, and the weeks we spent traveling together before coming back here.”

“They're your memories though, they're all important!” 9S almost shouted but flinched at the volume of his own voice. “Sorry.” He said quietly. “Th-they're all important. You promised me you would remember everything for me, you still need to keep that promise even now that I have my own memories back, ok?”

2B paused for a moment. “You're right.” She finally replied. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted so casual about something that means so much to you. They are important because some of them might have been of you.”

“It's ok. Let's work on getting those memories back all right?” He hooked his arms under hers and braced his legs against the side of the tub so they didn't slip under the water while they were preoccupied. He ordered his pod to keep the bath warm and to make sure neither of them drowned. He was eternally thankful he decided to tinker with its programming to give it a heating feature.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Ok, hacking in.” He entered her hacking space to find that 2B had already pulled out the damaged memories; some mostly clear with bits of noise and blankness spread throughout, and some were pure static. There were small fragments of memories scattered around everywhere as well. He didn't see many with him in them, which was both a relief and a frustration because it would be that much harder to help her get them back if he failed to restore them this way. Androids store their memories in order of relevance to them, so the virus must have started its way from the back to work its way up instead of the other way around.

He teased around the nearest memory, poking and prodding the scattered fragments at it until one of them fit. He continued this, until 2B's own recovery system kicked in and began filling in the pieces on its own. He started with the next memory, and the next, getting faster and more confident each time.

Once he got all of the partially corrupted memories out of the way, he took a deep breath before having a go at the fully destroyed ones. Before he could do that, the light in 2B's hacking space dimmed and her memories started shifting around randomly, signifying her entering sleep-mode. _Wow she fell asleep with me digging around like that in here? I guess I can't blame her. That must have been exhausting to go through._ H pulled out, deciding it was best to leave her be for now and let her rest.

He blinked a few times to readjust to his surroundings. The aroma of the herbs in the water wafted up and gently caressed his nose. 2B's slow, rhythmic breathing was the only sound to be heard, until the rumbling of a Resistance vehicle rolling in ruined the immersion.

He sighed and flipped the plug with his toe, waiting for the water to drain before he slipped out from behind her. He dried off quickly before bending down to wrap her in a towel and lift her out of the tub, being extra careful not to wake her. His knees buckled slightly under her weight, and he wondered how she always manages to carry him around with such ease when he has trouble just getting her across a room even though they're roughly the same size.

He set her down in the bed and slipped in behind her, pressing his body against hers and breathing in the scent of the bath herbs still clinging to her skin. He felt his eyelids grow heavy and he started to fall into sleep-mode...

 

> A hazy scene appeared in his mind. A sword, drenched in blood, dripping onto an unidentifiable body was all he could make out yet his stomach twisted in pain at the sight of it.

9S jolted back awake. _What the hell was that? … It's probably nothing, just nerves or something._ He settled back down, relieved he didn't wake 2B, and closed his eyes again.

 

> The scene was clearer now. It was 2B. He could see her lying limply on the cliff side, blood pouring from her wound, with A2 standing over her, with that same expressionless look on her face.

His eyes flew open again. _No no no, I don't want to think about that now. She's ok, she's here._ He pressed closer to 2B and listened to her soft breathing for a while until it lulled him back to sleep.

 

> Again, on the cliff. This time she was on her knees with her sword still protruding from her body. She felt so far away and he tried to run to her but his legs wouldn't move. She slowly turned and...

“Stop.” He begged aloud without realizing it. _Please._ 2B stirred and he shut his eyes and relaxed his body; he didn't want her to know he was still awake and stressing since he knew she needed her rest. He could feel her gaze at him sleepily for a moment before pulling him closer and absentmindedly stroking his hair until she went still once again. Once he was confident she was completely out of it again, he breathed a small sigh of relief and attempted to join her. _One more time. Think happy thoughts._  

 

> “Oh... Nines.”

_Shit I can't do this._ He carefully and silently got up and filled a glass with cold water, but froze as he heard 2B stir and look up at him.

"Nines, is everything ok?" She mumbled, still half asleep, but concerned nonetheless.

"Yeah, I'm fine 2B, I just realized I hadn't had anything to drink since yesterday, that's all." He smiled softly, holding up the cup and hoped his white lie was enough to convince her.

"Mmm ok. If there's something bothering you, I'm always here for you."

"Thanks 2B, I'm fine, go back to sleep, you need your rest. I'll rejoin you in a minute."

"Kay." She sighed softly and lay back down. 9S slowly sipped his water until he was confident 2B was fast asleep once more. He then splashed some on his face before chugging the rest down. _I need some air._ He stepped outside into the blinding light of the permanently midday sun and sat down in the dirt, soaking up the star's warmth.

Why is this bothering him now? Well, he knew why, but _why?_ He almost lost her again. In more than one way. _What if she forgot who I am. She might have... ended up like I did so many times when YoRHa was still around._

“What's the matter?” A voice rang out, yanking him from his thoughts, “you two have a fight or something?” 9S looked up to see the Strange Resistance Woman staring at him in her strange resistance mask.

“Huh? Oh no, it's nothing like that. We just uh... had a close call at the bridge and I'm still a little shaken up, that's all. Everything's fine really.”

“If you say so, my mask sees all so if you ever need some guidance in the future, you know who to ask.”

“Uh... thanks, I guess.” He doubted the mask actually did what she advertised, or that approaching her for relationship advice was a good idea, but it was nice knowing he had some support outside of 2B. He cursed himself then for not seeking help when he first lost her. He was so wrapped up in revenge and grief that he never thought about all the other people that cared about him.

He smiled a little. _I'm not alone. Everything will be fine, there's people that can help if I can't do it on my own. 4S and 11S are always nearby and I'm sure there's plenty of other scanners that survived YoRHa's fall if we search hard enough._ He stood up and stretched a bit, feeling a little more optimistic about the whole situation, then turned to rejoin 2B in their quiet room.

9S reentered the room silently. He was relieved to see her still sleeping peacefully, curled up in a loose ball and mumbling something quietly. He slipped in behind her once again and nuzzled up closely. She let out a soft sigh and stretched out a bit before relaxing again.

 _It's ok. It's ok, I guess I can just work on work some more on restoring her corrupted memories until I calm down._ He felt bad going back into her mind while she was asleep, but if he just kept his nose out of whatever she hasn't shared, then he was sure she wouldn't mind.

9S hacked back in and searched around until he found the bundle of white noise that was once a handful of 2B's memories. He couldn't help but take a quick glance at what she was currently dreaming about before getting started. _Huh. That was the time we spent all day fishing. The first time she called me Nines._ Seeing that calmed his nerves a bit more and helped him focus more on the task at hand.

He spent the next hour trying everything he knew to restore what was lost; trying many different algorithms, yet making little headway. He wasn't about to let her lose these and live with a void in her mind where important memories should lie. He knows how that feels and wouldn't wish it on anyone else, especially not her.

The scanner kept a close eye on 2B's mental state throughout the whole thing; every time he felt her body tense up, he'd look up from his work and push whatever troublesome dream was bothering her out of the way and wait for a more pleasant one to replace it. _Heh, too bad we can't have that happen automatically._

Finally, after another hour or so of grueling work, 9S finally had somewhat of a breakthrough. The memories fizzled for a moment and came back slightly clearer. He could faintly make out the memories playing under the static. If he could just... tweak the algorithm just a bit more. _There._ The static cleared and he could see the memories restore themselves to their former glory _. Should have thought of that earlier, that was easier than I thought it would be. I just wish... it was that easy to restore what's still missing from my mind._ He shook his head to clear the thought. _No, that's a problem for another day._

He just needed to run one... or two more, checks to see if they were properly restored before he felt comfortable leaving... And maybe another quick virus scan for good measure. When it was all complete, he took a quick glance at the current memory 2B was dreaming about. Exhaustion began taking him over and he felt calmed by the soothing nature of what was playing before him. He felt his internal systems slowing and before he knew it, sleep had claimed him too.

* * *

“9S?” _Huh?_ “Nines. Wake up.”

9S came to and surveyed his surroundings. _Huh. I'm in hacking space? These are 2B's memories. Did I..._

“Are you still in my hacking space? Have you been working all night?” 2B's voice answered his question and he quickly withdrew from her mind and shook himself awake. He might have detected a hint of discomfort in her voice as she asked that, but wasn't sure. It didn't help his conscience to see a flash of a frown get covered by a smile as he opened his eyes to look at her.

“Oh... yeah I was on a roll and wanted to keep working and I guess I fell asleep while in hacking space, I didn't even know I could do that. Sorry 2B, did that bother you?”

“No, no, it's fine.” He wasn't sure if he could believe that, but her smile now looked genuine. “I just... didn't think you would keep working that long.” She stroked his cheek and he eagerly leaned into that much-needed contact.

“Well yeah, I mean you know how important it is. I didn't want you to...” _become filled with holes and be an incomplete person like me?_ A small voice whispered in the back of his head too faint for him to consciously recognize. “... lose anything; the longer we waited, the harder it might have been to restore them perfectly. And I did restore them! They all should be back and just the way they were before this happened!”

“Oh I'm so glad... Thank you, Nines.” 2B leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek, and he could feel the tension in the air dissipate a little. “But Nines, you didn't have to exhaust yourself that much to help me, it would have been fine just waiting a day or two to get them all; we got yours back after missing some for years right?”

 _Not all of them._ “I mean, yeah, but my case was different though.”

“I guess.” She said.

“Everything's ok now 2B, you don't need to worry about anything.” 9S leaned up and nuzzled his nose on hers before collapsing back down in exhaustion. 2B smiled sleepily and lay back down next to him; tracing circles on his chest with her finger. He enjoyed the silence and heat of her body on his and was beyond relieved that everything turned out ok... _probably_. It was also a welcome surprise that he managed to fall asleep while dreaming her dreams; it was a nice way to escape his own... for now at least. But then again, he couldn't shake the feeling that 2B didn't want him digging around in there when she was asleep.

“I should probably head out soon and finish the mission.” 2B's voice cut through the silence. “You should stay here and rest more, I'll be back before you know it.”

“No!” 9S jolted up and he grabbed 2B's hand without thinking. “I mean... please let me come with you. I'll be fine!”

“Nines, you've hardly had any sleep, I'll be ok, we got most- if not all of them yesterday.” She tried her best to reassure him.

“But if they infected you before, there's a good chance it could happen again, and I don't want to risk that.”

“You're right, huh.” She paused for a moment. “Let me go check with Anemone and see how urgent it is to back out there. We _were_ walking for almost a day before fighting those guys, so we probably deserve some more rest before heading back out anyway.” She got up to leave, giving his hand one more light squeeze before heading out.

9S closed his eyes and did some deep breathing exercises. _It'll be fine. Even if it does happen again, viruses don't evolve anymore and are never as effective the second time around once our internal antivirus systems recognize the threat. Just gotta be more careful and not leave her side._

He jolted upright when the sound of the opening door hit his eardrums. 2B was back and had a less-than-pleased look on her face.

“Bad news, there's still some out there and they've forced the supply traders in the forest from their post. Anemone's giving us another hour to rest before she wants us to head out. Is that enough time for you?” She sat back down on the bed and pushed his head down on her lap and began stroking his hair. 9S stretched out and let out a soft moan before relaxing and closing his eyes again.

“Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks 2B. Mmm a little lower please, right behind the ear.” She happily obliged. “Ohh perfect, that's the spot.” He was still amazed at her ability to flip a goliath biped over and brute force her way through endless hordes of machines with ease, yet could delicately and tenderly touch him where he was most vulnerable and make him feel so safe and happy. Although... she wasn't always skilled with general delicate work; he could recall the time she broke one of his screens on accident just by tapping it too hard. So maybe it was just for him. That made it even more special in his mind.

“Lemme get you too in a bit 2B.” She nodded in agreement and he rolled over and felt her hands work their way down his back. He wanted to bring up his nightmares from the previous night, but decided against it; there were better times to discuss that than right before a mission. They went back and forth like this for a while; massaging and talking about mundane things until they heard a knock at the door.

“Oi,” it was Anemone, “are you two ready to head out yet? It's been over an hour.”

“Yeah,” responded 2B, “just give us five to change and gear up and we'll be out of here.”

9S groaned and sat up; time always passed too fast when he was with her.

“You still up for this Nines?”

“No, but I'm coming anyways.” He grumbled.

2B wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the forehead before getting up to change into her work clothes. 9S sighed and did the same. The uneasiness and worry from before started growing in the pit of his stomach as soon as they broke contact. He shook it away. _It'll be fine._

They headed out, bidding goodbye to Anemone and the strange Resistance couple. The travel was long and uneventful since they had to take a detour through Pascal's village and through the forest kingdom to get to where their target was lurking. The closer they got, the more uneasy 9S felt, and the harder he gripped 2B's hand in his. _It'll be fine._

“Alert: Enemies detected in nearby vicinity. Proposal: proceed with caution.” 9S's pod's voice made him jump slightly and he became ever more vigilant. There was a rustling in the bushes and a small biped ran out, flailing it's arms in every direction as it charged at them. Swords flashed, and the machine exploded in a splash of fire as it was impaled by both their weapons simultaneously.

“Nice job.” 2B smiled and 9S felt his fear ease ever so slightly. The relief didn't last long, however, as more enemies began charging in from all directions, sporting a large variety of weapons. The androids darted skillfully through the fray, cutting down machines left and right. 9S never strayed far from 2B's side as he subjugated whatever enemies were beyond his short sword's reach. _It'll be fine._

Another goliath blundered out into the clearing with thunderous steps. It was carrying a large makeshift club made of wires and sharp bits of metal and began swinging it around wildly, knocking trees and its own allies out of the way as it charged towards the androids. 9S tried to hack it but his view was blocked by a horde of stubbies crowding him. He gave up and jumped over them as the goliath approached 2B and raised its weapon above its head.

“NO!” He darted over and shoved her out of the way as the machine swung. The blow caught him square in the chest instead, sending him flying across the clearing. He crumpled on the ground and he could hear the sound of something snapping underneath him over the sounds of 2B's cries of his name. A sharp pain shot up his arm and across his body as blood spurted out of a deep gash on his chest. He let out a pained gasp as his body hit the ground with a wet thud. _Fuck._

With great effort, he clutched the cut on his chest and angled his head upward so he could continue hacking the enemies. 2B was frantically trying to finish off the goliath and the other machines so she could run to his side.

“2B...” His words were forced. “Move... I can hack...”

“You shut up!” She choked out, but shifted to the side so he could get a clear path. With no more hesitation, he hacked and detonated the goliath as 2B took care of the remaining stubbies. She took a cautionary glance around before running to his side and rummaging through her pod's storage for staunching gel. Her hands shook as she applied it and pushed the gash closed, waiting for the sickly brown liquid to solidify.

“2B... I'm glad... you're o-”  
“What the hell were you thinking?!” She interrupted, tears filling her eyes. “You could have been killed.”

“I didn't... want you getting hurt... again.”

“You think jumping in front of a huge enemy and getting your head knocked off wouldn't have hurt me too?” Her voice trembled with anger and fear. “I don't want to lose you either Nines.”

“R-ri- I'm so...rry.” He was too tired to argue, too injured to form words. ”Urgh, it hurts-s.” He reached up towards her shakily in hopes of stroking her face, but his mind was so fragmented at the moment, he wasn't even sure if his hand was actually moving at all. Soon, the pain in his broken arm and chest gash became too great, despite 2B's best efforts to aid him. His vision went black as he entered a forced shutdown to conserve the small amount of energy he had left.


	10. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2B helps 9S recover from his near-death experience in the forest and move past his newfound fear of the area around the bridge.  
> Get a bucket because they're going to be so disgustingly cute with each other it might make you sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tweaked the previous chapter a bit to have 2B wake up when 9S was having his nightmares since it seemed unlike her to not notice him moving around like that. Instead I just had it so 9S kept pretending to be asleep or reassuring her that everything was fine when she asked what was going on.

A dull throb worked its way across his body as 9S's systems began rebooting. He groaned and forced his eyes open a crack and could barely make out a pale canvas ceiling high over his head. _Huh? Where... am I?_

He turned his head and a figure with bright red hair slowly came into view, lying not far away from him. _Popola... I'm back at camp?_ He groaned again and attempted to sit up, but a sharp pain shot across his chest the moment he began to exert himself. It didn't help that one of his arms was completely offline; he couldn't even feel it, let alone move it.

“Good morning sleepyhead.” Devola's voice rang in his ears. Even half-conscious, he could still pick out the sarcasm dripping from her lips. “You were out for a good half-day. Did you have a nice nap?” Reality set in as she said those words and his eyes shot open from the shock.

“Half a day?!” He jolted upright slightly and fell back down as pain shot through his chest once more. “Where's 2B? Is she ok?” His mind began racing with terrible scenarios, each worse than the last.

“Easy there. She's fine. She had to head back out to dispatch the remaining machines because they began heading this way as she lugged your ass back here.”

“Alone?!”

“No, 4S just got back from a mission and he and 11S offered to go with her. They're all safe and should be back any time now. Man, she's gonna be upset you didn't wait for her to come back before waking up. She even held off leaving for as long as she could for you to be finished with your beauty sleep.”

“Shit.” 9S stared at the canvas ceiling for a while, cursing himself for being so careless.

“You should be glad they managed to dig us out of the rubble, with the Bunker gone, you would have been in deep shit otherwise.”

9S paused for a moment. “Thank you. For everything.”

“Hey don't mention it... It helps keep my mind off... well.” She gestured in Popola's direction.

“Oh... Have you er... made any progress?” _Ergh, that was probably not the best wording._

“No.” Devola looked away and sighed. “But I can't give up. You two managed to come back from the dead; there must be some way, something in that rubble that can bring her back. I know she's in there somewhere... Her circuits are almost completely repaired. So we'll find a breakthrough soon. We have to.”

9S went quiet for a while and thought about how many thousands of years the twins were together. He and 2B had only known each other for a few months, not counting the previous 9Ss he wasn't completely aware of at the time of her death. Even considering that, it wouldn't have topped four years. Losing her after just that short time had caused him so much pain and grief, he didn't even want to imagine losing someone so important to him after being together for thousands of years.

He couldn't help but feel at fault for it too. If he wasn't so driven by grief and revenge, he might have found another way into the tower and they wouldn't have had to sacrifice themselves to help him.

 _Sacrifice._ Something he nearly did today for 2B's sake. In hindsight he knew that his rash decision likely ended up making things worse for everyone involved. That big, lumbering thing wouldn't have been able to lay a scratch on 2B. She was built for that kind of action and his carelessness could have gotten them both killed.

 _God. I'm so selfish. I only thought about how I would feel losing her, but didn't stop to think about how she would feel losing me._ He put his good hand over his eyes and sighed loudly, before remembering who he was just talking to before letting his mind wander. He turned to Devola and smiled.

“She'll wake up for sure. 2B and I will do whatever we can to help out too. It's the least we can do to repay you.”

Devola shifted around with mild discomfort before speaking. “Thank you... But enough about me, it sounds like someone's here to see you.”

9S's heart skipped a beat as he craned his neck to hear 2B's voice growing steadily louder as she walked back to camp. He strained to sit up once again, but Devola pushed him back down and gave him a stern look.

He didn't have to wait long before 2B poked her head in the medical tent and saw him waiting there, eagerly.

“Nines!” She almost yelled as she hurried to his side. “I'm so glad you're awake.” She stroked the hair from his face and smiled as tears welled up in her eyes.

“2B I'm so sorry--”

“Stop that.” She almost snapped, but softened her tone. “I'm the one that should be sorry. I shouldn't have brought you along when you were that upset and exhausted.”

“2B! There's no way I would have stayed behind after what happened.”

“I know, but you know I would have been fine. Viruses don't evolve anymore so my built-in antivirus system would have taken care of it.”

“That's not something I wanted to leave up to chance though! There's no way to back up your memories anymore remember?”

“Of course I remember, I--”

“Both of you stop that.” Devola's voice cut through their arguing. “You both fucked up and you both should apologize.” She went quiet once again and resumed her vigil at Popola's side, gently stroking her bright red hair.

“Heh, she's probably right.” 9S said after a moment's pause. “I'm... sorry for acting so rash and careless back there.”

“And I'm sorry for yelling at you like that and not taking your feelings about what happened yesterday into enough consideration.” She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I was just so scared of losing you again.”

“Yeah, me too.” He responded.

2B smiled gently before turning to Devola. “Any idea when we'll be able to move him back to the room?”

“Should be fine now if you're careful wheeling him in on that thing. He doesn't need intensive care anymore so as long as you don't jostle him on the way over you're good to go.”

2B let out a sigh of relief. “And how long will it take for him to heal up completely?”

“Probably four or five days for the gash, and twice as long for his arm to be fully functioning again.”

 _“Ten days?_ ” 9S groaned.

“It'll be ok.” Assured 2B. “We just dispatched the last of the machines that were troubling the Resistance, so it should be back to the same old escort missions we've been doing for a while. I'll be able to stay here and take care of you until you're better.” 9S felt a slight wave of relief at those words, but the fact that she might have to leave him at all left a small knot of worry deep in his core.

2B leaned in closely and planted another kiss on his lips. He kissed back and reached his hand up to push her hair behind her ears to get a better look at her face. They smiled at each other and nuzzled noses until Devola interrupted them.

“You better be careful with him 2B, don't go undoing all my hard work just for some fun.” She said with a mischievous smirk.

2B snorted and both she and 9S went red as she wheeled him away without another word. Once Devola was out of earshot, 2B leaned forward and whispered in his ear “We'll have a lot of catching up to do won't we?” 9S couldn't help but let out a small, awkward laugh at that.

“Hey who says we have to stop completely? I still have one good hand remember?” 9S winked and wiggled his fingers at her.

“Nines, you're such a dork!”

“Whaaat? You started it!” He flinched slightly as she carefully transferred him into their bed.

“Yeah, I know, but it doesn't change that fact.”

“Pfft, too tired to argue with that.”

“Good, 'cause you won't win either way.” She teased. “Hang on though, I need to get some things done, I'll be back in 10. You'll be ok on your own for that long right?” She asked with a wink.

“Oh I dunno, 10 minutes is a long time. Maybe you can hurry and make it... _9_ minutes? Hehuheh.”

“Heh, ok then, I'll be back in... _Nines_.” And with that, she wheeled the cot out and closed the door softly behind her.

9S stared up at the ceiling as he waited impatiently for her to return. _God, I'm such an idiot. I could have gotten us both killed._ Dark thoughts began creeping into his mind now that 2B no longer provided a barrier of light to keep them at bay. He shook his head clear again and again.

 _I almost lost her. I almost lost her. I almost failed her again. She had to run back into danger again because of my mistake. I hurt her again. Why does... why does_ she _get all her memories back when I still have so many voids that will never be filled? …_

He groaned at the thought and smacked himself in the forehead to clear it from his mind. _It's not her fault. This shouldn't be bothering me. It's not her fault._ The flood of conflicting thoughts snaked their way around him and he desperately wanted to scream to force it back.

The sound of the door opening jolted him back to reality and the thoughts took a backseat as 2B reentered the room.

“Looks like I made it back in... Eights.” She chuckled.

It took him a moment to register the joke and he let out a weak laugh in response. 2B's smile faded into a look of concern.

“Nines? Are you all right? I mean... Can we talk about this? I don't want what happened eating away at you like that.”

He let out a soft sigh in response. “Yeah... I-I guess. I just fucked up so badly didn't I?”

She pulled up a chair and sat by his side. “Everything turned out all right though; you got the virus out of me just fine and what happened earlier could have ended a lot worse, but it didn't. The war is practically over, the Resistance is conducting a raid on the last remaining machine factory halfway across the world. With that gone, no more hostile machines will be made, and it'll only be a matter of time before we clear out the remaining ones ourselves.”

“I know. I _know._ It's just that, so much could happen before the last hostile is wiped out.” His pulse rate and breath quickened because he _knew_ he was being illogical, but he couldn't shake it from his head.

Sensing his discomfort, 2B climbed into bed next to him, carefully wrapping her arm around the uninjured portion of his chest. She nuzzled her face into the curve of his neck and kissed him softly.

“I'm sorry, we don't need to talk about it right this moment. How about you share some of your favorite memories with me to help keep your mind off this until you feel ready to talk more?”

“Yeah, that might be a good idea.” He responded. He felt 2B's presence enter his mind as he fumbled around for something happy to share with her. The t-shirt promise never failed to make him smile, even if she did gently tease him every time he suggested it, so he pulled that one out and she slid inside.

The familiar sight of the shopping center came into view and they were once again chattering about their plans for the future.

> “And when that day comes, we should go shopping together. I could buy you... I dunno, a t-shirt or something?”
> 
> “A t-shirt?”
> 
> “What? Not interested?”
> 
> “Hmm... When that day comes? I'm all for it... _Nines...._ ”
> 
> The surroundings warped and changed and a flash of red filled their view before the memory went dark.

“Huh? What the hell was that?” _She didn't call me Nines then, and especially not like that._ He turned his head to see that 2B was giving him a quizzical look. He gave a reassuring smile, mostly for himself and said. “Heh must have been just nerves. Lemme try another one.” _Maybe one further from that place._

> A gentle sea breeze caressed his face as they were transported to a remote beach. 9S was busy chasing down a giant machine crab to study; tripping over rocks and dodging angry claw snips. 2B sat on her knees a ways away; her pod gently bobbing in the water, waiting for an unsuspecting fish to come its way.
> 
> 9S pounced at the same moment a rock rolled under his foot, and he landed less-than-gracefully atop the crab. He could hear the crack of its shell on the ground and immediately felt a sharp pain in his side as the crab grabbed hold of him with one of its claws.
> 
> He shrieked and grabbed the crab, tugging until its claw ripped out of its socket. He quickly sat on its body and began trying to pry the still-attached claw from his side. It came free after a good struggle but it left a large red mark on his skin that stung whenever he moved too fast. He grabbed the claw and the now-dead crab in his hands and waved them at 2B, still sitting with her back turned.
> 
> “Think we can still get some important data from this 2B?” He teased, knowing full well he likely damaged its core when he fell then sat on it.
> 
> 2B slowly turned to him, the normal ocean background warped and cracked and became distorted before finally clearing to show the outside of the abandoned shopping mall. What was once a look of annoyance on 2B's face became a look of despair mixed with relief as her black dress became stained with red.
> 
> “Oh... Nines...”

“Gyaah!” 9S screamed and pulled away from the memory, ejecting 2B from his hacking space in the process. The sound of his screams still echoed in his mind as he tried to push it away.

“Nines! Are you--”

“S-sorry, I thought I could control it better this time.”

“Don't apologize, I shouldn't have... wait what do you mean “this time”?”

“Oh, uh.” _Shit._ “Well... last night, I didn't spend the whole night repairing your memories, I got them done pretty quickly actually. I couldn't sleep because... that scene kept replaying in my head every time I dozed off, no matter what I tried. It was getting to be too much so I just... hacked back in and worked on restoring your memories to keep my mind off it. And then I guess... when I finished... I got distracted by whatever nice dreams you were having and I somehow fell asleep while still in hacking space and... I'm sorry.”

“Nines...” 2B's voice was gentle, yet tinged with concern. “Is that why you said you were getting up for water? Why didn't you tell me right then?”

“I didn't want to disturb you. You were so tired, I couldn't bring myself to wake you. I knew I was just going to get over it eventually.”

“ _Nines”._ She scolded. “I would have been fine if you woke me up. I know it hurt you too and we should be getting through this together.”

“I know. I just...” He groaned. “I'm sorry. I can't do anything right can I ha ha.” He could feel tears welling up in his eyes. “Ha... ha...ughh.”

“Don't be. It's in the past, and everything will be ok.” She leaned over him and began kissing the tears away before they could fall. “We have all the time in the world to talk about it now. Just let it all out if that's what helps.”

“Thanks 2B. I mean... I don't know what to talk about that hasn't already been said right now. I just want you here with me, I don't wanna be alone like that ever again.”

“I promise I won't ever leave you. I'll stay by your side until the sun swallows up the Earth one day. Can you promise me you'll be more open with me in the future? And that you won't be afraid to wake me if you ever have any more of those dreams?”

9S rested his forehead on hers. “All right, I promise.”

“Good, now lets get some rest and heal up quick.” She shifted around to bring her lips up to his ear; her voice quieted to a whisper. “I'm gonna need both your arms working for what I have planned for you.”

“Twooo Beeeee.” 9S could feel his face get red once again and he gently bumped his nose against hers in retaliation. 2B giggled and bumped back. They took turns battling each other for a while until 2B dodged his incoming attack and planted a kiss straight on his lips before he had a chance to react.

“I win.” She teased.

“Hey that's cheating! You never told me the objective of this.”

“Why would I reveal my plans to the enemy?”

“Good point, they don't call you the number one combat model for no reason.”

“Number one? Who said that?”

“I did.”

“Niiiiiines you dork.”

“Yep. Does this mean I win this round?”

“Yeah, I'll let you have that one. Best two out of three?”

“Deal. Hey Two Beeee~”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

Now it was 2B's turn to blush as she let out a small squeak in response to his words.

“Ok I think you win that one. I love you too Nines. More than anything.”

“More than anything? I dunno if I can win against that comeback though. Let's call it a tie?”

“Hmm, I can live with that. Now let's get some rest for real this time.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“One affirmation will suffice."

“Fiiine. Goodnight 2B.”

“Goodnight Nines. Sleep well and remember, I'm here, I'll always be here for you, to love and protect you. Don't ever forget that.”

“I won't, I promise.” 9S felt sleep coming to claim him as he bathed in the warmth of 2B's embrace. The pain in his arm and chest was almost nonexistent thanks to her care and Devola's medicine. At least for now.

Sleep came easier that night. The nightmares still wormed their way into his dreams but 2B was always there to remind him that he was no longer alone. They lay there together as he cried into her arms and she whispered soft words of comfort into his ears. His hand would move up and down her body, feeling every soft feature as an extra reminder that this all so real. The soft sounds she made when his fingers would graze over sensitive areas were just a bonus for him.

2B's dreams weren't spared that night either, as images from the past clouded over and concealed her sweet memories of them together, but 9S was more than happy to return the favor. Her fingers would absentmindedly glide across his fresh gash, causing her even more discomfort, but 9S would always take her hand in his and gently guide it to his face to kiss her fingers and remind her he's still alive and well thanks to her love and hard work. 

* * *

The next few days were relatively uneventful, a welcome change for the both of them. 2B stayed within arm's reach of him for the most part, and whenever she needed to go out, she made sure to talk to him through their pods. It didn't ease his nerves completely, but it did help.

They filled their time with jokes and stories and games from the old world. Even though he could barely move, he never felt bored when she was by his side.

Once the fourth day had passed, Devola gave him the ok to finally get up and about, but not to exert himself by going on missions; something he would have ignored completely if 2B hadn't taken Devola's side on the issue. 9S grumbled about her decision but didn't push it further. Still, it was nice to finally get out of the cramped room to stretch his legs a bit, and to talk to some of the other Resistance members he neglected to form bonds with all those months past.

* * *

“Hey Nines?” 2B asked on the eighth day as they were lazing by the pond in front of camp.

“Hm?”

“When you get the ok from Devola to use your arm again, would you like to help oversee bridge repairs with me? It's almost completed as-is and they haven't run into any problems since we drove the last of the machines out, so I think it might do you good to go back there now that it's safe.”

9S shifted uncomfortably in place but reluctantly agreed to go.

“It'll be fine.” 2B assured. “I promise.”

“Yeah, I know. I'm ready for anything this time. I won't let anything bad happen to you.”

“And same goes to you.”

* * *

Day ten came along and 9S could hardly keep still as Devola removed the brace from his arm. The first thing he did was lead 2B back to their room to find out what the “plans” she had for him were.

“Niiines. You know I was teasing when I said that... mostly. Your recovery was the most important thing on my mind then.”

“I knowww, but I _want_ to do this.” He smiled.

“Me too. Be careful though, remember Devola said your arm is still fragile. Let's not break it all over again.”

“I don't plan on it, we would never hear the end of it if she found out.” He whispered as she gently lowered him to the bed.

* * *

When they awoke some hours later, they began planning the next few days' events together and the subject of the bridge repairs naturally came up.

“You should see it now.” Said 2B. “Since the war is nearly over, the Resistance is able to set aside more resources for repairing and rebuilding things. When it's finished, they said it'd be sturdy enough to drive cars over.”

“Wow. You think they'll start repairing the shopping center then?”

“It's likely they will.”

“Heh. I guess the time I can take you shopping is coming sooner than I thought.”

“Yeah, I'm looking forward to it Nines.”

“Me too.” He said, shifting closer to her and pressing his forehead against hers.

2B smiled and they lay there for a moment before she spoke. “Well, when you're ready, let's head out there.”

“Y-yeah, let's go!”

Sensing his hesitation, 2B pulled him even closer in a reassuring hug. “It'll be fine, I promise. We can always leave if you're too uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, I know, I'm just nervous anyway.”

“Yeah, I understand. I am too.”

“Hmm." He took a deep breath to prepare himself. "All right, I'm ready, let's go.”

* * *

They headed toward the bridge not long after, hand in hand and giving each other small squeezes of comfort along the way. When they arrived, they saw about a dozen other androids hard at work with the repairs.

“Wow, you weren't kidding when you said they'd be able to drive cars over it, this thing's huge! Hey Camellia,” he called to a nearby worker, “this thing safe to walk on yet?”

“Yeah basically,” she responded, nodding towards the work truck already parked in the center, full of supplies, “just try not to get in anyone's way though.”

“Uh, of course, thank you.” He turned to 2B and softened his voice. “How are you feeling?”

“A bit nervous myself to be honest. But it'll pass. How about you?”

“Same. It'll be fine, just like you said. Like, we're supposed to walk across it a few times with no problems and it's supposed to help us feel better or something, right?”

“I'm assuming. That's what you said humans did right? Which is why I suggested it in the first place.”

“Yeah, it seems weird to me though, but I guess it makes sense.” 9S took a deep breath and gave 2B's hand another squeeze. “Well, I'm ready when you are.”

“Right, let's go.” She responded and began walking, gripping 9S's hand tightly. They stepped on the bridge and continued onward, not quite knowing what to expect when they reach the other side.

“So when they repair the shopping center and I finally get you that t-shirt I promised... Well, have you thought what kind of design you'd want on it? I looked through some old human records and it was amazing how many different designs t-shirts had. Some just had some cute little drawing on it, like a cat or something, and some looked like actual fine-art paintings. Oh! And some stores even let you make your own t-shirt!”

“I like that idea.” 2B responded.

“What? Oh, yeah, me too. Hey you know what, with that way, we don't have to even wait for a store to open, there's nothing stopping us from making each other a shirt right now!” They neared the other end and 9S could feel his pulse rate rise just a bit. _It's ok._ He told himself. _We've been this way before with no problem. Maybe I'm just nervous because we were overhyping it or something._ He glanced at the area across the bridge where 2B died all those months ago. _See? She's not there, she's right next to me, alive and well._

“Nines?” 2B's voice caused him to jump slightly.

“Huh?”

“I said, I'd love to make a shirt with you.”

“Oh yeah, let's do that then! I mean, I want to buy you one too, but making one sounds even more special.”

“Yeah, it does.” She smiled, and stopped, before pulling 9S into a hug. Her warm body and the faint hum of her black box helped him relax a little bit and he wrapped his arms around her to return the embrace.

“Thanks 2B.” He mumbled.

“Anytime Nines.”

They resumed walking and reached the end of the bridge. 9S hopped the last few feet off and let out a loud sigh the moment he was on solid ground.

“See? That wasn't so bad 9S.” He said to himself. “You _were_ completely overhyping it. There was nothing ever to worry about in the first place.” He glanced in the direction of the place 2B died and felt his anxiety rise once again. “Yeppp. Nothing to worry about at all.”

2B took notice of his nervousness and gently led him to the spot. She turned to him and lifted her shirt up partway to expose the smooth, undamaged skin underneath before guiding his hand up against it to further cement in his mind that every horror that had happened was in the past.

9S's hand lingered there for a moment, fingers just brushing the area around her navel. He soon began stroking the area with both hands, marveling at how soft, and warm, and alive it felt.

“Nines, that tickles.” 2B laughed and twitched under his hands.

A sly grin spread across his face and a thought appeared in his mind. “Sorry 2B, is _this_ better?” He leaned down and began raining kisses on her belly, causing her to laugh and squirm even more. He didn't let up until she threw her shirt over his head, pinning him to her abdomen.

“Oh no! I'm trapped!” He teased and tried to pull away, but 2B held him in a vice grip. “I accept my fate. I guess I can get used to it though. Beats being tied to a tree or something.”

“Would you lovebirds do that somewhere else?” A random Resistance member called out from the bridge, “it's starting to make me physically ill.”

The two androids grew red with embarrassment and 2B released her grip, letting 9S rocket back up to her height. He smoothed down his hair and they pretended nothing had happened.

“So uh. Wanna walk the bridge a few more times? Not sure how much we're supposed to do this until everything's better, I suppose it depends on the situation?”

2B shrugged. “It'll take as long as it takes.”

“Right.” They began heading back across, speeding up a bit as they passed the disgruntled Resistance member. They crossed again, and again, each time causing the area to become less a place of pain and despair, and more a place of happiness and peaceful memories as they talked and joked the entire journey.

On the fifth pass, the two sat down together on the cliffside to take a breather. 9S wrapped an arm around 2B's back and she rested her head on his shoulder. They watched in silence as the Resistance finished up their work for the day.

“Hey 2B?” He said softly.

“Hm?”

“Thank you for suggesting this. I think this has really-”

“Alert.” Pod 153's voice blared out. “Machine lifeform detected in the vicinity. Proposal: proceed with caution and dispatch if necessary.”

“What!?” 9S yelled, immediately jumping to his feet. “No no no. Wait no, it's fine, pod, you said “lifeform” so that means there's just one right?”

“Affirmative.”

“Ok ok, good, this should be fine, right 2B?” He looked in her direction and saw that she already had her sword drawn and was staring intensely at the mall's entrance. He pulled his out as well and the two waited with anticipation as the clinking footsteps grew louder. They gripped their swords tightly and had their pods at the ready, standing still and tense until a dark shadow appeared at the doorway.

Swords flashed and-

“Pascal?!” 9S exclaimed as he and 2B pulled their weapons back at the last moment, narrowly missing the friendly machine. He screamed as the sharp metal whizzed past his head.

“Please androids have mercy! I mean you no harm!” His familiar voice called out in surprise.

“Pascal, w-what are you doing here?” They both asked as they let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. Pascal was frozen in place and didn't move from his spot until the androids sheathed their swords and resumed non-threatening poses.

“W-well, when I was doing some research on the old world, I came across some information about androids built around that time that might prove helpful to those twin android models you mentioned not long ago. I apologize for not contacting either of you directly, please believe me when I say I had no intention of startling you.”

9S let out a shaky laugh and 2B joined in as their legs trembled in a mix of relief and exhaustion. Before long they were both on the ground in each others' arms in full blown laughter at the ridiculousness of everything that has happened in the past few weeks. Pascal looked on in confusion and took a nervous step back, unsure about what the two androids were doing.

“If I may ask, what about my statement did you find so humorous?

“Sorry, sorry.” 9S said through fits of laughter. “It wasn't you, it was just, neither of us expected any machines to come through this area.”

“I see. I still don't understand the humor of the situation, but I will say that I am glad to see that you two are happy.”

“It's a long story.” 2B replied. She pulled herself and 9S back up and approached Pascal. “Would you like us to accompany you to camp?”

“Yes. Yes, if you are not preoccupied already, I would appreciate that.”

2B turned to 9S. “Do you want to head back now or do you feel we should stay here for a while longer?”

He sighed and let out a small laugh. “I think I've had enough excitement for a whole week. Let's go home.” 2B nodded in agreement and they gathered themselves up off the ground. He leaned close to her ear and whispered “Plus, I'm just itching to pick up from where we left of when that Resistance member interrupted us earlier.”

“Oh my god Nines.” She whispered back, lewdly. “Yes, let's make that a top priority.”

Giggling like schoolchildren, they crossed the bridge one final time with Pascal in tow; the curiosity of what information he had caused a deep itch in their minds once the high from 9S's proposal wore off. They listened to him intently as he relayed what he had learned on their way back home.


	11. Popola

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TIME TO SAVE POPOLA Y'ALL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit this was my longest chapter yet, at a whopping 9200ish words.

“So Pascal,” 9S asked as they headed back to the Resistance camp, “what exactly did you find that could help Popola? …And what exactly were you doing in the Forest Kingdom?”

“Well, since the Forest King was killed not too long ago, his subjects have all either died off or dispersed in the time since. I heard they had an extensive library in the deepest portions of their castle and I had been wanting to visit it for a long time, and thought now was safe enough to venture in. I have to say they were not exaggerating when they described how big it was.

“Anyway, I lost myself in those books for hours until I came across some old textbooks that were written all about old world androids. Some of them even talked specifically about the Devola and Popola models. It seems like there were more than one pair of them created in that time. I remember you mentioning that one of them back at your camp has been badly damaged so I gathered up all the books I could find regarding old world androids and was on my way to deliver them when I ran into you two… and almost met a most unfortunate end.”

“Yeaaah… sorry about that.” Responded 9S. “We’ve both been on edge the past few days and didn’t expect you to come by this way.”

“It’s perfectly all right; I know that androids and machines have been at war for millennia, even though I have not personally witnessed any of the fighting myself, I understand that there would be quite a lot of tension between us.”

9S flinched at his words.  _You have witnessed so much more than us, you just don’t remember any of it._ “Yeah.” He felt 2B give his hand a gentle squeeze and relaxed his posture a bit when he realized how tense he had become.

“Anyway, what exactly did you find that you thought might help Popola?”

“Well…”

* * *

Time passed quickly as Pascal relayed the information he discovered, and before they knew it, they were back at camp. They headed straight to the med tent where Devola was still standing vigil at Popola’s side.

Devola stared in disbelief as they passed what they learned on to her and she immediately demanded to see the books.

“I don’t believe it.” She said in almost a whisper as she flipped through the pages of the nearest book. “These could… no… I shouldn’t get my hopes up just yet… but… we thought all the old world data on our models had been lost in time. To think, after all these years, the machines had them all along is… hahah…”

“Please Devola,” 2B said, “we owe you so much for what you’ve done for us. If there’s anything we can do to help you with this, anything at all, let us know.”

Devola paused for a moment, eyes flashing between the two androids multiple times. “…Thank you. I… I just need some time alone now to see if these even  _have_ anything I can use.” She paused again and lowered her head towards them. “Thank you. And thank you too… Pascal. You all can go now.”

“I do hope my findings serve you well. Goodbye.” Replied Pascal before turning and heading out of camp.

“We’ll be in our room if you need anything.” 9S said. The two androids gave her a polite nod and left her to her research.

* * *

The next morning they were awoken by a loud knock. 9S slid out of bed wearily and threw a long shirt on before opening the door to see Devola standing there, nearly jumping in place, with an urgent look on her face.

“I think I’ve found something!” She said, her voice quivering with nervous excitement. 9S’s eyes opened in shock and he heard 2B nearly jump out of bed behind him as Devola beckoned them over to where she had been pouring over the books for the entire time 2B and 9S had been sleeping… and doing  _other things_.

They hurriedly dressed and were beside her in a flash; she had a mess of books strewn all around her and she was gripping a particular one tightly in her hands.

“It says here that each Popola and Devola model has an internal backup system that’s resistant to shock, water, and other physical stressors, but the files are all compressed to keep the hardware as small as possible.

“It’s unlikely we’ll be able to salvage her regular data storage unit, so we’ll have to create something new to transfer her personal data to. Or repurpose something already made, which, at this point is the more likely option considering the only place that could create something powerful enough to hold almost ten thousand years of data has recently been destroyed.”

“Wait,” questioned 9S, his pulse rate rising slightly, “do you mean…”

Devola nodded. “Yes, she needs a Black Box.”

9S felt an an uneasy feeling bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. He was still coming to terms with the fact that the thing that held his memories and powered him, as well as 2B and every other YoRHa android, was created by repurposing machine cores. From _the_ _enemy._ The things that caused so much pain and suffering to him and everyone he cared about for thousands of years.

2B wasn’t as concerned when he nervously repeated what he had found not long after his memories were restored. At least, she didn’t  _seem_  that concerned. “It makes no difference in the end.” She had said. “You’re still  _you._ And I’m still  _me._  Even if the parts that make us aren’t quite the same as other androids’.” He reluctantly agreed, but it didn’t stop the discomfort he felt whenever he thought about that fact.

“Nines?” 2B’s voice snapped him back to reality.

“Huh? Oh yeah, Black Boxes. We have quite a few in storage from all the dead YoRHa units around. They’re all pretty damaged, but there’s more than enough of them to piece together to form a functioning unit. But almost all the data on Black Boxes were lost when YoRHa fell, so without a manual, it might take me a while to figure out how to do it myself.”

Devola looked crestfallen. “Oh…”

“B-but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try! Like I’ve said, we 9S models are the best around! I’m sure it won’t take long for me to piece one together. We’ll have her up and running before you know it, I promise!”

She smiled and turned her head away from them; towards Popola. “…Thank you.” Her voice quivered and shoulders shook faintly and 9S realized she was crying.

“Devola…” 2B said quietly.  
“I said thank you. What more do you want?” She snapped. 2B and 9S flinched at her tone but Devola softened up and turned back to them, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry… It’s just that… nobody has ever showed us this much kindness for thousands of years… it’s hard to wrap my head around.”

“It’s fine,” 2B replied, “I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” Devola responded quietly.

The three stood in awkward silence for a moment before 9S spoke. “Well, we’ll head out to the storage unit pretty soon after we check in with Anemone. I’ll see if I can give you an ETA on when I’ll have it finished after I get a chance to look at them, but I can’t promise you anything.”

Devola nodded, and the two made their leave.

* * *

It wasn’t until a few hours later that 2B and 9S arrived at the storage unit located only about half a kilometer from camp. Anemone had them run around doing mindless errands  _again,_  so 9S was happy for a chance to finally sit down after what seemed like non-stop walking.

The building was definitely an uncomfortable place to be in. Dozens of dead YoRHa units lay on simple cots along the wall, strapped down by heavy chains as if they could reawaken any moment with the virus in full force. They all knew that wouldn’t happen, as all their black boxes had been removed and stored in a heavily armored safe. But the mass corruption of YoRHa units and subsequent attack on multiple Resistance members had scared all of them, and it gave the Resistance peace of mind to have them locked up this way. Not that they could blame any of them really; even now, 2B and 9S both noticed an air of uneasiness a handful of androids emanate when seeing them, or any of the other surviving YoRHa units walking around camp freely.

9S shuddered as he passed the corpses.  _No 2B models, thank god._ He was equal parts relieved and disappointed when he remembered that the 2B models he fought in the tower were  _not_ YoRHa made, but instead some cheap imitation thrown together by the machines. He knew he wouldn’t have stood a chance fighting that many real 2B models, that part he was glad about. But the fact that they were just rushed copies made it so they weren’t able to salvage any of the bodies to attempt to create a usable backup for the real 2B if the need arises. They just had to continue being careful; more careful than they had been in the past few weeks.

They still had plenty of other YoRHa units to piece together, but, each different model was created specifically for its personality type. Even if they were able to reconstruct a functioning body and black box for themselves, as well as a way to backup and transfer data to them, they wouldn’t reallybe  _themselves_. 2B wouldn’t be  _2B_  and 9S wouldn’t be  _9S_. That isn’t to say that he never stole away to tinker with the models in an attempt to change that, but he hadn’t found a breakthrough just yet.

They arrived at the safe door and 9S pulled it open after punching in a ridiculously long password (and having to retype it twice after hitting the wrong keys). They were met with a row of Black Boxes in various states of disrepair, and 9S grabbed the least damaged one and brought it to a workbench to inspect it.

“Well it doesn’t seem like this one is too horribly damaged,” he said after looking it over for a few minutes, “and we definitely have enough parts; the only problem is that we might not have tools fine enough to put everything together.”

“Hmm…” Responded 2B.

“That and, I won’t be able to tell for sure what part goes where just by looking at it. Pod, hand over any documents containing information about the creation and maintenance of Black Boxes.”

“Understood.” 9S’s pod responded. He pulled up his holo-screens and watched as a handful of files slowly filled up the space.

“Hmm… including any S or SS level confidential documents. There is no reason to hide anything anymore and I know you both have shown er… free will in the past. So uh… _please_  can you hand over  _everything_ you have?”

His pod floated in silence for a moment, processors whirring as it was trying to formulate a response to his crude request.

“…Understood.” It finally replied.

2B and 9S looked at the pod in mild shock as it displayed more data on the screen after another moment of silence.

“Wow uh… thanks pod!” 9S patted his flying companion lightly on it’s side. His eyes shifted back to his nerd device and he smiled as he glossed over the new data. “Hey, some of this stuff actually might be–”

“You’re… welcome.” 153 interrupted. Another moment of shocked silence filled the room. A small smile worked its way up 9S’s face and he gave the pod another pat.

“Heh… you’re doing a good job pod.”

2B then turned to 042 and stroked its metal frame. “You’re doing a good job too pod. I appreciate you.”

Both pods made a whirring noise and spun around before going silent once again. 9S smiled for a bit longer before going back to the data. “Anyway, I think this data is actually usable, who'da thought all I need to do to get confidential information now is to just ask.”

2B laughed softly at his words. “The pods are clearly something else aren’t they.”

“Mhm. Now all that’s left is to figure out how to get all the tools we need to fix this thing up… and eventually some for ourselves as well.” He turned to 2B. “Let’s head back to camp and see if anyone there knows anyone who can make some for us.” 2B nodded in agreement and they got up and stretched, before packing back up and heading out the door, still taking care not to look too closely at the dead androids they passed.

* * *

“You really think you found something?” Devola asked in disbelief after the two came back with the news.

“Yep, we just need help finding these tools,” 9S responded, pointing at some images of strange-looking objects on his screen, “and it should take me probably one to three weeks to repair, depending on how hard Anemone decides to work us.”

“I see… Hmm… I think I know of a place that might be able to make these.”

“Really? That’s great!” 9S exclaimed.

“It’s far though, about 600 kilometers away over pretty dangerous terrain.”

“Euuhh… Not so great then.”

“They  _do_ deliver though; many of the tools the Camp uses are from that factory. But they don’t send out that often, only when there’s a large enough order. So there’s no way of knowing when we’ll even get the tools.”

“Hmm, at least we have something to fall back on if we can’t find something more convenient soon.” 2B commented.

“Right…”

“Don’t worry,” 9S assured, “we’ll check around camp for you and see what we can find.”

* * *

An hour passed before they returned.

“Well, we’ll be able to get three of the tools made here,” 9S said “but the rest are a no-go. Did you figure out how long it’d take before the order gets here.”

“… About two months.”

“Two months?!”

“Yes.” Devola looked on the verge of tears. “Two months to get tools to make something we don’t even know will be successful.”

“Whoa whoa, hang on there Devola, don’t say that. W-we can do this, and well, I’m sure two months will pass in a blast. Like uh… I was… it was longer than that before 2B and I were-”

“Devola,” 2B said gently; cutting 9S off and saving him from digging himself into an even deeper hole, “I know it’ll be a long wait, but I promise you we’ll be able to save her. 9S has done the impossible before, many times, and he can do it again. And until the shipment arrives, we’ll do our best to keep you company. So just hang in there, ok?” She gave the other android a warm smile and placed her hand on hers as a small gesture of comfort.

Devola tensed up at the sensation momentarily, before finally breaking down into fits of sobbing and throwing herself on 2B; wrapping her arms around her and nearly knocking her over. 9S caught and steadied them before they hit the ground, then awkwardly took a step back to let them be. It didn’t seem that there was anything he could do at the moment, so he just waited for Devola’s crying to subside as 2B stroked her fiery-red hair and whispered soft words of comfort.

“Thank you 2B…” She said in barely more than a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she responded in an equally silent manner, “I can’t say I even remotely know how you feel, but the time I was waiting for Nines to wake up after the collapse of the tower… it was filled with so much fear and uncertainty. It’s not something anyone should have to endure on their own.”

_2B…_

“N-no, it’s not. This isn’t fair. I just… I just want her back already.”

“I know, and we’ll get her back, that’s a promise.”

Devola nodded and held her a moment longer before letting go and hurriedly wiping her eyes, hoping to not cause any more of a scene than she already did. She thanked them quietly once more and requested to be alone with Popola, which 2B and 9S obliged.

They headed back to their room and when they closed the door, 9S turned and wrapped his arms around 2B in a hug of his own, burying his face deep in her chest and savoring the warmth radiating from her body. 2B ran her fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his head before speaking.

“Hmm, if this keeps up I’m going to have to hug the entire Resistance Camp today aren’t I?” She teased. 9S laughed softly and hugged her tighter. “Something wrong Nines?”

“No. I just wanted to hold you. I love you 2B, you’re such a kind person and I’m so lucky to have you.”

“You’re too sweet Nines. But it’s me who’s the lucky one here. Come on, let’s go to bed, we’ve had a long day.” 9S nodded and the two slipped themselves under the sheets without loosening their grip on the other.

* * *

The next morning they awoke on their own time for a change; stretching and lazily performing their morning rituals before heading outside. The passed the med tent on the way to Anemone, planning on bidding Devola a good morning before getting briefed for their daily tasks, but she wasn’t there.

“Huh, that’s odd.” Said 9S. “Eh, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about. It’s not like she sits there 24/7, I’m sure she had some errand to run.” 2B nodded but he could faintly pick out a worried look on her face; his words failed to quell the uneasiness that slowly grew inside both of them.

“Hey Anemone,” 9S asked after she was finished talking, “have you seen Devola recently? She wasn’t with Popola when we passed the med tent.”

“Oh her? Yeah I saw her head out of camp maybe an hour or two ago. No idea where she went since she didn’t say anything to anyone before leaving.”

2B and 9S exchanged worried glances before heading back to the tent to check for any clues that might explain where Devola went, and why she was gone for so long. Everything looked normal except, wait, her pack was gone.

“I don’t like this at all.” 9S said, nervously chewing on his lip. He glanced over at Popola and noticed a small piece of paper tucked into her right hand. He pried it from her fingers and beckoned 2B over before opening it up to read it.

“’ _I can’t wait any longer. I need her back. Please don’t follow me.’ …_ That’s all it says.”

“Shit.”

“Shit… I don’t care what it says, we have to find her, there’s no way she can make that trip on her own. Pod-”

“Understood. Unit Devola’s energy signal confirmed, marked on map.”

“Thanks pod. 2B, I’ll grab our gear if you go tell Anemone we have a change of plans.”

“On it.”

They rejoined each other not long after and geared up quickly before heading out towards the location their pods marked for them. It didn’t take long for the high-end military models to catch up with the ancient, distressed healer model. The time it did take for them to find her was filled with apprehension and uncertainty about how they were going to handle the inevitable, likely unpleasant, conversation they would have once they found her.

“We’ll figure it out once we find her.” 2B had said. 9S wasn’t always a fan of 2B’s running into situations without having a plan, but he himself didn’t have much of one either, aside from capturing her and physically dragging her back to camp. And that wasn’t something either of them were willing to do anyway.

“Devola wait!” 9S yelled when the bright red hair of the android came into view; showing like a beacon through the dense, green forest. She stopped in her tracks but didn’t turn to look at them as they approached.

“I told you not to follow me.” She snapped when they got within earshot.

“Guess we’re not too good at following orders anymore.” 9S said.

“Devola please, this isn’t safe,” 2B pleaded, “we don’t want you risking your life just to shave off a little time.”

“Yeah, yeah, you told me all of this last night. ‘I know the wait’s long but we’ll keep you company,’ you said. But I don’t want  _your_ company, I want Popola’s, and I can’t get that until I get you those tools. Now go back to camp and do whatever Anemone asked you to do until I bring them to you.”

“No.” 2B’s voice was gentle, but firm; 9S knew she wasn’t about to budge, but it didn’t seem like Devola was going to either, so this likely was going to turn into a battle of  _which android is more stubborn_.

“I’m not going back there until I get those tools.”

“We’ll go with you then…” 2B said. 9S jumped in shock at her proposal but didn’t say anything; he definitely did not expect her to come up with  _this_.

“No! This is my problem. I’ve already burdened you two enough, just let me do this.”

“We owe you our lives.” she replied, and he nodded in agreement.

“You don’t owe us anything, no one does. After all, its out fault that humans-”

“No it’s not.” 9S interjected. “It was another pair of Devola and Popola models; you know that, we know that, everyone knows that. What happened to humanity isn’t your fault, neither is the way other androids treat you because you look like them.”

“It might as well have been.” She mumbled.

“Devola…”

“Why are you still trying to help me? Why are you still being so nice to me?”

“I thought we went over this at ca-” His voice was cut off by 2B’s hand on his arm.

“Devola I know it’s hard to understand, but we honestly do want to help. We can’t just let you run off on your own through dangerous terrain in an area not yet cleared of hostile machines. We don’t want to lose anyone else we care about. We’ve already lost so much.” Her eyes clouded over and she lowered her head. 9S took 2B’s hand in his and squeezed lightly.

“Devola, please.”

Devola didn’t respond; instead she stood there, digging her heel into the ground uncomfortably until she sighed loudly and groaned. 9S tensed up unconsciously, unsure of what was about to happen.

“Fine.” She said, curtly. “But don’t slow me down or I’ll leave you behind.”

The two androids’ eyes lit up and they both jumped up in excitement.

“Great!” 9S exclaimed. “Although you’re gonna  _have_ to wait for us since we gotta head back to camp to prepare.”

“Actually Nines, can you stay here with Devola while I go back and get prepared? I think it might be safer this way.”

“Wait, 2B!”

“Nines don’t worry,” she smiled, “we haven’t run into any machines yet and shouldn’t until we reach the mountains.”

“I know but…”

2B leaned forward to give him a hug and a light kiss on the cheek. “It’s all right. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Okaaay.” He responded with a huff, and with that, 2B sprinted off in the direction of camp.

Two hours passed and 9S started getting nervous. He knew he shouldn’t because he could see 2B’s position on the map getting steadily closer, but he couldn’t help himself. He tried to make small talk with Devola but was always met with short, unenthusiastic, answers. Finally, he just began talking about the native flora around them, in order to break the uneasy silence. Devola didn’t respond much, but she didn’t tell 9S to shut up, so he kept at it until a message from 2B popped up on his pod’s display.

 _“Meet me at this location.”_ It said, with a map marker attached. 9S was curious as to why she couldn’t just meet them where they were now, but he shrugged and relayed the info to Devola before heading out to where 2B had instructed.

A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination on the side of a dirt road. 9S checked the map and saw that 2B was nearly there, so he leaned up against a tree and waited eagerly to be reunited with his love.

Soon, he could hear a low rumbling in the distance, getting steadily closer. He craned his neck to figure out what was making the noise when a Resistance truck made its way around the corner with 2B at the wheel. 9S gasped and jumped up as she pulled up next to them and rolled down the window, beaming. He ran up to it and stuck his head through, saying his hellos to her and her pod.

“Wait, I didn’t know you knew how to drive!” 9S said in surprise.

“I don’t. But it wasn’t that hard to pick up, since I already knew how to control a flight unit.”

“2B!”

“I got here just fine, didn’t I?” She smiled softly and patted the seat next to her.

“Yeah, I guess. Wait, how did you even get Anemone to lend you the truck anyway?”

“The camp had a big order in anyway so she agreed on the condition we bring back hers as well.”

“Haha, that’s great! Now this trip should be cut down to only a few days instead of weeks!” 9S hopped inside and sidled up to 2B. Devola joined them soon after and buckled in. She said nothing but when 9S turned to look at her, he saw a faint smile on her face and her eyes sparkled with tears that threatened to fall.

“Devola, are you all right?” 9S asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, I’m just… thank you.” She turned to look out the window behind her. “Popola, we’ll be back soon, just hang in there, ok sis?”

“We can all take turns driving too so we can get there quicker.” 2B said.

“I’ll pick up when we get to rougher terrain, I’ve known how to drive for a long time.”

9S let out a sigh of relief. “Oh good, because I don’t think either of us are experienced enough to get us across safely.”

“Heh, it’s not like we spent the last ten thousand years doing nothing, we’ve both picked up all sorts of useful skills, driving one of them. Now let’s get going!”

“Right.” 2B said and hit the gas.

* * *

They drove for hours, with 9S navigating and 2B and Devola switching out the driver’s seat every once in a while. When 2B wasn’t at the wheel, she was cuddled up to 9S in the passenger’s seat with her head in his lap or on his shoulder. He happily ran his fingers through her hair as she dozed off. He had offered to drive too but 2B had insisted it was fine since he had no experience driving and he was more important as a navigator. When he brought up the fact that she hadn’t driven before either, she just shrugged and said she did have some practice before leaving. 9S wasn’t convinced that their skill levels would have been very different with only that much practice, but he didn’t push it since 2B seemed to enjoy driving down the windy roads with him at her side.

Devola seemed to be in a slightly better mood too; taking more time to answer any questions that 9S asked. She even sang for them for a while after 9S brought up that humans used to do that on long road trips together. Her voice was soothing, and even though he couldn’t understand the words she was singing, both he and 2B found themselves falling asleep on each other until Devola shook him back awake when they reached a fork in the road.

Every once in a while, their pods blared alerts about approaching machines. They’d sigh and get to work clearing them out; running to and fro, sending machine parts flying in all directions. 9S would always get nervous each time their pods made a noise, but also somewhat relieved when they got to actually stretch their legs a bit. Overall, they were still making good time, despite the multiple interruptions.

After what seemed like a full day of non-stop driving, 2B pulled over in a small clearing with a stream threading through it and flowers dotting the landscape. She walked over to a particularly soft patch of grass and flopped down in it. 9S jumped out and joined her; stretching out his tense joints after being cramped up in a small box for countless hours. Devola shifted over to the driver’s seat and waited impatiently for them to return.

“Devola, come out and join us.” 9S said when he noticed she was still in the truck.

“I don’t want to waste any more time.” She responded.

“The parts won’t even be finished by the time we get there anyway, and you look like you need a good stretch too, and you haven’t slept since we brought you those books have you?”

“But… all right.” She got out and joined them in the grass. “Just a quick nap and we’re getting back on the road.”

“Kayyy.” 9S yawned and curled up next to 2B who was already fast asleep it seemed.

He awoke with a shock some hours later as a small bird landed on his face and attempted to pluck out some of his hair. 2B jumped up too, but let out a quiet laugh as she saw the little ball of feathers take off with a few silvery strands, leaving 9S to rub his head where the hair was ripped out.

They turned to Devola to see that she was still fast asleep and decided they would just wait for her to wake on her own. 9S got up and walked to the stream; ripping his boots off and sticking his feet in the chilly water. 2B sat down next to him and did the same; shuddering at the sensation. They talked quietly for a while until they heard rustling behind them.

“Morning sleepyhead.” 2B smiled as Devola shook herself awake.

“Huh? Shit, how long was I asleep?”

“Not very long, don’t worry, we just woke up pretty recently ourselves.” 9S said, splashing his feet. “The water is pretty refreshing, want to join us before we get going?”

Devola paused for a moment. “…Sure.” She said quietly and sat down next to them; cautiously dipping her toes in the water. “It’s… nice.” She whispered as she swirled the water lazily. Just then something caught her attention across the brook, so she got up and waded over and disappeared into the trees for a minute before returning with a big handful of lavender.

She sat down in the same spot and began delicately weaving the flowers together. 2B and 9S watched silently as she skillfully created a set of circlets in a matter of minutes. When she was satisfied with her work, she turned to the two and placed them on top of their heads before smiling faintly and heading back to the truck without another word.

2B and 9S looked at each other and admired each other’s crown.

“You look super cute with that 2B.”

She blushed and responded. “Not as cute as you do.”

“No way! You’re way cuter!”

“Negative, we all know you’re the cute one.”

“All right, all right, I’m the cute one… but you’re the beautiful one.” He smirked.

2B went another shade darker.

“Niiness you-”

Devola revved the engine of the truck, interrupting their playful argument. “Hurry it up you two. You can be disgustingly cute on the ride up… actually, no, don’t please.”

The two androids laughed and ran to join her and they were off in a flash. Devola raced down the road with 2B and 9S in the passenger’s seat; the aroma from the lavender was slowly filling the cabin and giving it a soothing aura.

* * *

After another few hours they finally arrived at their destination; a ramshackle looking shed up against the side of the mountain. 2B and 9S looked at each other in confusion.  _How is this thing going to have the equipment to make our tools?_ Devola paid no mind to their questioning looks as she drifted up to the door and knocked loudly. They could hear a lot of muffled shuffling and banging before it opened to reveal a tall, lanky android armed to the teeth with every tool imaginable. Her black hair was a mess, sticking every which way with bits burned off, and her skin was coated with a thick layer of dust and grease.

“Oh hey yall! Name’s Violet. Nice flowers!” She said in a completely contrasting light and cheery voice. 2B and 9S both reached up to lightly touch their circlets and smile at her compliment. “Yer the ones that are here t’ pick up that order for Anemone right? Oh, and that other special order of funky-lookin’ tools too?”

“Yes, that’s us,” Devola replied, “are they ready yet?”

“'Fraid not, but it won’t be long now. Anemone’s order is done and all packed up, so ya can load that up into the truck while ya wait. I’ll show ya where it is, this way.”

“Thank you.” Devola said and the three followed Violet into the shack. 9S gasped in amazement when he finally got a good look of the interior. The shack was just the tip of the iceberg; it continued on a ways into the mountain and opened up into a cavernous workshop with dozens of androids and machinery all working on various tools and weapons. A mess of crates lined the back wall and Violet stopped at one pile and patted the top box.

“Here they are! I doubt you’ll need help moving 'em, but if you do, one of the workers here would be happy t’ lend a hand. I’ll check on the group working on yer tools to give ya an estimate of when they’ll be done, so make yerselves at home until then. That big hallway across from us will take ya down to camp where ya can stock up on whatever it is ya need in the meantime.”

“Thank you.” The three said in unison. Violet nodded in response and headed off towards a pair of androids hard at work tinkering with what seemed to be their order. The trio got to work transporting the crates and then went off in the direction of the camp. They putzed around for the next few hours, trying to keep the increasingly impatient Devola occupied until they were ready to go back.

9S couldn’t help but steal away for a moment when he spotted a vendor selling a collection of bubble baths; he quickly purchased the prettiest one and slipped it in his bag, then ran back to the other two before they even suspected a thing.  _Nice that the war is coming to a close, hopefully we’ll be able to see some shops like this pop up back at our camp._

When they finally got the call that their order was finished, Devola rushed over, leaving the other two in the dust to brush themselves off and take off after her. They packed their order in the truck in record speed, bidding Violet a quick farewell before taking off on the long road back home. 9S wasn’t super thrilled to be cramped in the vehicle for another day after only having a few hours “rest”, but he was also looking forward to getting home so he could get to work on the Black Box for Popola… and get a good night’s sleep. They didn’t run into nearly as many machines on their way back, much to their relief, so the trip was significantly shorter.

Camp was in sight and the three perked up and hit the gas to breeze the rest of the way, only to have the engine sputter and die not five kilometers from home.

“Oh COME ON.” 9S yelled as he kicked the front tire; they had been eyeing the fuel gauge for a while as it crept closer and closer to empty. They had all willed the poor truck to keep going, just a little bit longer, but to no avail. 2B took off full speed to camp and returned with a canister of fuel and they were off and running again; finally reaching camp and unloading all the goods. Devola immediately resumed her vigil at Popola’s side and 2B and 9S went and collapsed on their bed and the three all fell into a deep, much needed sleep.

* * *

Over the course of the next two weeks, 9S spent long hours in the chill of the storage unit; tinkering and toying with the black boxes while trying to make sense of the ridiculously detailed set of instructions the pods gave him.

The first black box was a failure; it hummed to life and its glow filled the room with a faint yellow before sputtering and letting out a puff of black smoke right in 9S’s face. He cursed at it, but was silently relieved that it didn’t end up blowing the entire storage unit off the map. He’d have to be more careful next time.

* * *

The second Black Box was closer. 9S had recruited 4S and 11S to lend him a hand and the three spent countless hours huddled over the small workbench arguing over what goes where. When they finally completed it and switched it on, it glowed for a whole four minutes before suddenly going dark and not turning back on no matter what they did.

* * *

“Third time’s the charm.” 9S said as he activated the finished Black Box. It hummed to life and all five of them, the scanners, 2B, and Devola, waited with bated breath as the humming and glowing grew steadily louder until it reached a pitch almost exactly like the YoRHa androids’.

“Ok, this is a good sign,” 9S sighed, “it says that, to be sure, we’ll have to wait at least an hour to know for certain if this will keep running.” So they waited. And waited. And waited. But the Black Box’s hum was strong and steady and the minutes ticked away until well over an hour had passed.

“I think… I think we did it.” 9S said as he let out a shaky laugh. “I don’t want to jump up and down in celebration just yet but it’s been more than enough time and it’s still going strong.” He turned to Devola to see she was sitting frozen, staring at the mysterious source of power. “Devola?”

“…Is this really… are we really this close?” She whispered.

“There’s only one way to find out.” 9S responded. “Come on, I think it’s safe to bring it back to camp. All we need to do is figure out how to connect it to Popola and extract the data from her backup system.”

“Right, right!” Devola jumped out of her seat and carefully and tenderly picked up the Black Box off the table; cradling it in her arms before heading out the door.

“Ahh! Wait Devola!” 9S called as he hurriedly collected all his tools in a bag and the four of them chased after her.

They arrived at Popola’s side, and Devola grabbed her own toolbox to begin the delicate work of implanting the device into her twin. 9S sat on her opposite side, waiting for Devola to make the first cut, as random Resistance members started crowding around, curious about what they were planning to do. 2B sighed loudly and shooed them out of the med tent. She planted herself at the entrance; keeping an eye on any nosy passerbys.

Devola took a deep breath and began slicing through the skin on Popola’s chest; squirting staunching gel on the fresh cut along the way. When there was a significantly sized cut, she carefully peeled back the skin to reveal the dense chest plate underneath. She continued working, with 9S following her every order and handing her all the tools she needed to open her up and locate the backup so that he could begin his work.

“So it says here that the backup is located along the back of the rib cage in… these.” She pointed at the half dozen small, metallic nodules fused to her steel ribs. Several wires stuck out of each and all connected into one point on Popola’s normal data storage.

“All right,” 9S said, “all I need to do now is to attach these wires to the Black Box and figure out how to make them compatible… and that should be it.” He took a deep breath and began work; carefully clipping the wires around her storage device and removing the faulty piece of hardware to make space. Devola waited anxiously and the other two scanners sat nearby, in case anything went wrong.

He attached the wires, one by one, to the small nodes he placed on the Black Box as he was reconstructing it. Each time he touched a wire to a node, the Black Box glowed a little brighter for a fraction of a second before dimming back down to normal.

“That’s all of them. Now just… a few more things to do.” He pulled up his holo-screen and remote-connected to the Black Box. “Just gotta, input this code and…”  _BZZZT._ The Black Box sputtered and groaned before its humming began rapidly growing in intensity.

“Is this supposed to happen?” Devola almost yelled, and the two scanners stood up and closed in behind them, waiting to jump in at a moment’s notice.

“I-I don’t know! I don’t know! I don’t know! … Okay, calm down, calm down.”

Its humming kept growing louder and louder, and the four androids sat there frozen, waiting for  _something_ to happen. 2B sat still at the entrance with her head partially turned towards them; even she was shifting nervously in her seat.

When the humming became loud enough for even Anemone to turn her head in confusion, it suddenly stopped, and immediately went back to the normal, quiet hum of a healthy device.

“Is… Is that ok?” Devola asked.

“I guess so? No abnormalities detected on the screen, everything should be fine?”

“T-that’s it? Nothing else we need to do? We can patch her up now and she’ll wake up now right?”

“I think so, I just need to check if everything is connected and…” he glanced at his screen, then down at Popola, and back at his screen, “I think that’s it.”

Devola shook in excitement but took some deep breaths to calm her hands so she could get to work screwing every single bolt and screw back on and replacing the skin on top; carefully stitching it back together and applying another thick layer of staunching gel on it for good measures.

“All right,” 9S said, voice trembling, “moment of truth.” He felt 2B’s presence behind him, relaxing him a bit almost immediately. He brought his finger up to the activate button and pressed; tensing up the moment he felt the smooth glass on his finger.

A small shock rippled through Popola’s body and she went still once again. Devola held stark still over her sister; her fists were clenched so tight, 9S could see a small trickle of blood flowing from one of them when he glanced over.

“Popola? Popola, can you hear me?” Devola whimpered. No response. “Popola please, wake up.” She put her ear up to Popola’s chest and could hear the faint sound of her new Black Box, but now a new sound could barely be heard above its hum. Not loud enough for 9S to hear, but he could see it on his screen. The rhythmic pulsing of a heartbeat, faint and weak, but growing stronger by the second. They waited, not one daring to move; as if even a breath in the wrong place could ruin everything they worked for in the past few weeks.

The pulse grew steadily and evened out, and before long a slight shudder ran through her body and she let out a gasp of air as her lungs were kickstarted. Just like her pulse, her breathing started slow and weak, but gradually increased to a normal rate and evened out. The five surrounding androids’ breathing was all but normal though. They sat in a mix of rapid breathing and hardly breathing at all.

“Popola?” Devola whispered again. “Popola can you hear me? Please, please come back.”

A small sound escaped Popola’s lips, almost too faint to hear, but Devola heard it and continued calling out.

“Popola, it’s me, Devola, your twin. I need you, I need you back.” Her shoulders shook and she started sobbing quietly. “Please.”

“De…vola.” The word was faint, but unmistakable.

“Yes! Popola! It’s time to wake up, you’ve been asleep for so long, you sleepyhead… for too long!”

Popola groaned again and shifted slightly. Her eyelids twitched and slowly opened; looking hazily at the ceiling before traveling around the room and finally locking on to Devola’s teary face.

“Devola? Wh-what…”

“P-Popola!” She reached out to her sister but hesitated; worried that even the slightest touch might send her back into a coma. She shook herself and moved her hand forward once again, fingers brushing lightly against Popola’s face. She flashed a faint smile and leaned slightly towards her sister’s fingers and hummed.

“Wh-why are you crying?” She reached up slowly until her thumb brushed against Devola’s cheek and wiped a tear away, before letting her hand fall back down on the bed.

“Because I missed you. I missed you so so much. I-I m-missed you. I was so worried, I was so s-scared. I missed you. I… I…” In that moment, Devola burst into tears and broke down sobbing; nearly throwing herself on her sister and wrapping her arms around her. She blubbered nonsensical things and sobbed and choked as she finally got to release the emotions she had bottled up for all those months.

Popola’s hand came back up and her fingers found their way into her twin’s fiery hair; weakly massaging her scalp as her sister cried hysterically on top of her.

The four YoRHa androids got up quietly, and carefully filed out of the tent. They knew their work here was done and all that was left to do was to wait nearby in case anything happened.

Before they were out of earshot, Popola turned to them. “…Thank… you…” The four smiled and nodded, and disappeared from the tent.

“We… we did it, we actually did it.” 9S breathed. “Hhaha. I can’t believe.”

“Hey Nines, you did most of the work.” 4S said and slapped him lightly on the back.

11S chimed in. “Yeah, we were mostly there for support. I didn’t think it was possible to be honest, but I guess you’re a top-of-the-line model for a reason.”

9S felt his face get red. “Ahh, you guys… thanks.”

2B leaned over and wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her chin on his shoulder. “You did amazing, I knew you could do it.”

“Heh, thanks 2B,” he purred, “couldn’t have done it without you though.”

“Oi, you two get a room with that.” 11S snorted. 2B shot him a look and grunted, before grabbing 9S’s chin in her hand and pulling him into a full-on kiss. 9S gasped in shock, but quickly melted into her and flashed 11S as much of a smirk as he could manage with his lips getting sucked on by his partner. 11S grimaced and walked off, leaving 4S and the couple cracking up at his reaction. They pulled apart finally and gave 4S another nod of thanks before heading their separate ways.

In the days that followed, 2B and 9S monitored Popola’s recovery closely; checking in often and helping out when they could to aid her body’s adjustment to her new Black Box. The fact that Devola was already a medical android was a great relief to the couple; since they knew she could handle most problems on her own. That freed them up to run their regular errands for the Resistance.

Devola seemed like a completely new person, at least to 2B and 9S and the other two scanners. She talked and smiled more when they came to visit. She was still distrustful of the other Resistance androids that came to her, and was snarky and short with them, which was completely understandable considering the way they’ve been treating both of the twins for thousands of years.

Even then, 9S noticed a small change in the Resistance’s attitude towards the twins. The looks they gave them had softened considerably; and even though they still talked badly of them behind their backs, it wasn’t the same intensity as before. Especially when 9S was around to curse them out when he caught them doing it.

* * *

Roughly a week later, Popola had adjusted and recovered well enough that they were confident enough to let her venture a ways out of camp. She suggested that they pay Pascal a visit so she could thank him personally for providing them with the books they needed to revive her. They all agreed it was a great idea and the four of them decided to head out there together. Before they left, however, 2B and 9S ran back to their room for a moment to retrieve something important.

The androids pulled the now-dried lavender flower crowns off the wall they were hanging on and put them on. They then picked up the ones they had decided to make for the twins from the drawer they were hiding them in. They couldn’t find any lavender nearby, so they settled with some small, white flowers that seemed like something their inexperienced hands could weave together without too much of an issue. They were definitely crude in comparison to the intricate weaves of Devola’s gifts, but, like 9S had said, it’s the feeling behind the gift, not the gift itself that’s important.

9S joked about not knowing flower meanings and the possibility of accidentally giving them an offensive set of flowers, but 2B just shrugged and said meanings behind flower types were… meaningless, and that the twins would know that they meant no offense with them. 9S hummed in agreement and the two headed out with the gifts hidden behind their backs.

“Ready to head out?” Devola asked.

“Hang on a second you two.” 9S said. “Can you do us a favor and close your eyes for a sec?”

“Uh… sure.” she responded and they nervously shut their eyes. 2B and 9S pulled their crowns out from behind their back and placed it on top of the twins’ heads and told them they could look again. The sisters looked at each other in surprise for a moment, then smiled and laughed at the gesture. 9S could have sworn he saw a tear in the corner of Devola’s eye but when she blinked, it was gone, so he could never know for sure. They turned and thanked the couple and together, the four of them headed out to see Pascal.

When they arrived, they saw him sitting near the top of the tree with a few small machine children running around. The village was growing, but was still nowhere near the size it was before… whatever it was happened. He waved excitedly when the small crowd approached him.

He noticed the two redheaded androids when they came up the ladder and gasped in shock. “Oh, you were successful in reviving her, how wonderful! Were the books I brought you of any help at all?”

“Yes, incredibly. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.” Devola said.

“And for that, you have our deepest thanks.” Popola added.

“That’s so good to hear, there’s already too much death and suffering in this world, so when I realized I could possibly do something about it, I had to rush over right away.”

“And we truly appreciate it; if there’s anything, anything at all that we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to tell us. We owe you so much for this.” Popola smiled and Devola nodded silently in agreement.

“Oh! Well, I wasn’t expecting anything in return really; but if anything pops up in the future that I could use your help for, I’ll be sure to let you know. Thank you.” The ancient machine did some attempt at a bow of appreciation, and the four androids all held back a laugh at how funny it looked.

The group stood around for a while longer, chatting and getting to know each other a bit better. One of the machine children came up behind 9S and pinched him in the back of the leg, causing him to let out a high-pitched squeal before turning around and chasing the little criminal who was already speeding down the slide, giggling metallically. The other three androids joined the machine child’s fits of laughter as he limped after them.

9S caught the child after chasing them around the tree several times. He raised his hand to whack them on the head, but froze in midair as the child gasped and flinched at his movements.  _I… I can’t do it._ He thought.  _Even if it is being a little shit._ 9S huffed and let the child go, letting them shoot off back to their friends; He slinked back up to 2B, who wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close.

Popola started swaying wearily after a short while, and the twins decided it was best to head back to camp and come back another day when she was fully recovered.

“You all right heading back on your own?” 9S asked. “We wanna stay and talk a bit more but if you need us then…”

“We’ll be fine, thank you,” said Popola, “it’s not very far, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Ok then, we’ll see you in a bit!” He waved goodbye and they bid Pascal another thank you before heading back to camp.

They sat and chatted with Pascal for a while, listening to him talk about the book he had been reading and the children that had recently appeared at the village entrance a few days before.

“Hey Pascal.” A voice called out from behind them as the two were getting ready to head out. “I found a new philosophy book for you, it’s about rocks I th–  _shit_.”

2B and 9S turned to see a familiar white-haired android standing at the edge of the village. 9S could feel his stomach twist and his black box temperature steadily rise as he took in the unwelcome sight. Standing before them was…

“A2…”


	12. A2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A2's BACK YALL

9S stared at A2 with disgust. She was just as dirty and grungy as she the day she killed 2B, and eventually, him. The only difference was that her hair had grown back to its original length. She stared back with a neutral, almost sad, look on her face as three new pods hovered silently behind her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He spat.

“Pascal was looking for new Philosophy books to read so I’m bringing him one.” She responded flatly.

“That’s _not_  what I meant! Why are you still _here_? In this area? After everything you’ve done?”

“Because I owe it to Pascal to help him out.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Pascal stepped back nervously as the tension in the air became almost palpable. 2B noticed his discomfort and tugged on 9S’s arm gently. 

“Let’s continue this conversation elsewhere. Come on, A2. We’re not here to fight, but we need to talk.” She said in a commanding tone. A2 shrugged and the three of them turned and headed out of the village. They bid the confused Pascal a quick goodbye as the couple followed A2 from a distance.

They walked through the forest for several minutes before coming to a small clearing. A2 stopped abruptly and turned, causing 9S to jump slightly as he instinctively stepped in front of 2B. He relaxed slightly after she made no move to approach them.

The androids stood in tense silence for a long moment, shifting nervous glances at the others. 2B held 9S’s hand tightly in hers, squeezing it every few moments as a show of comfort to help him get through what was likely going to be a very uncomfortable conversation.

A2 shifted her weight and sighed in annoyance. “Are we going to talk or are we just going to stare at each other for the rest of the day?” She said. 9S grit his teeth and clenched his fists as his brain struggled to formulate words.

“Why the hell didn’t you just tell me that 2B was infected?” He snapped.

“Because it wouldn’t have made a difference. You would have tried to kill me before I could even say anything.”

“Like hell it wouldn’t have! You had so many chances to just pass the message on. You had her god damned pod and you didn’t once think to use it to explain yourself, or hell, even just send the fucking video it recorded of her final moments to me. Pods record  _everything_ they see, if you hadn’t noticed already. You could have asked Anemone to tell me, you could have just sent a message through the transport terminals.” He began trembling and fighting to hold back tears. 2B gave his hand another reassuring squeeze.

“You just ran around doing whatever the fuck useless shit you were doing with her sword which had her memories in it. You just… you just sat there and watched as my world fell apart around me.” He took a deep breath to compose himself. “And what the hell was that vague bullshit you said in the recovery unit after you killed 21O? “2B wanted you to become a good person.” You coulda followed that up with “Oh _by the way._  2B was also infected and asked me to kill her!” Why didn’t…” He shook the tears from his eyes. “Why didn’t you just tell me she was… dying.”

“Because you already knew she was infected.”

9S grit his teeth and flinched as if he were about to be hit. Memories he had tried so hard to repress began bubbling back up in his subconscious. _I didn’t know. I didn’t… know… I…_

> “You killed 2B.”
> 
> That was the one thing, above all else, that could not be forgiven. Even if 2B had already been infected with the virus. Even if those eyes she used to look back at him were red.
> 
> “That’s all we need. For us to kill each other.”

_I…_  He opened his mouth to snap back but A2 continued.

“You needed a reason to continue living. And revenge is as strong as any other reason. Why the hell do you think I’m still alive after losing everyone important to me all at once? Why do you think I didn’t just lay down and die when YoRHa sent pursuit units to kill me for daring to survive the Pearl Harbor Descent?”

“What the fuck…” He whispered.

2B piped up. “That was no excuse not to say anything A2. I get that you don’t exactly owe us much since we attacked you in the forest kingdom, but not even attempting to take five minutes to contact 9S was just plain cruelty. Maybe he wouldn’t have believed you, or denied it, but that’s something he should have been allowed to confront within himself.”

9S shifted uncomfortably as 2B spoke. “To have that fact shoved right in his face rather than stewing in the back of his mind might have given him the push he needed to move on, to heal.”

They could see a flash of guilt cross A2’s face, but she immediately shrugged it off. “But then again,” she responded, “if that happened, things might have turned out differently and the three of us might not be standing here today.”

9S opened his mouth to respond but no sound came out. They stood there in tense silence for what felt like hours, but in reality was likely only a few moments. Pain. Anger. Guilt. Every negative emotion one could feel was bubbling up inside inside him, ready to burst at any moment. Just then, a twig snapped behind them as a deer walked past unawares. The harsh sound flipped a switch in his mind and all the emotions came flooding forth at the same time.

9S screamed, and charged at A2, nearly pulling 2B down too as she was still holding onto his hand. He threw a wild punch straight at her jaw and it connected with a satisfying squelch as blood spurted from her lower lip. She regained her balance and stared 9S down, but made no move to fight back.

“Nines!” 2B screamed and ran to grab him but A2 held her hand up to stop her just in time for 9S to land another punch right in her gut. She let out a pained grunt at the impact but forced herself to stand straight even though her body was clearly screaming at her to double over and tend to her wounds. He threw another punch, hitting her just below the left eye, causing her to stumble back and trip on a root and crash to the ground.

He immediately straddled her and began throwing punch after punch to her face. She simply lay there with her eyes closed as he screamed and cried and split his knuckles open from the impact. His punches slowed as his crying grew louder and soon he was doubled over on her chest with his bloody hands gripping her shoulders and sobbing uncontrollably.

“I was… I was so alone.” He whispered to no one in particular. “It hurt… so much.”

A2 pried her eyes open and gave a weary glance at 2B who immediately ran up and placed her hands on 9S’ shoulders. He stood up shakily with her help and quickly turned and wrapped his arms around her waist and cried into her chest. She stroked her fingers through his hair with one hand and reached out to A2 with the other.

She continued laying on the cold ground, blood pouring from multiple cuts on her face as she stared at 2B’s hand, unmoving. 2B flashed a small smile at her doppelganger and continued reaching out. A2 stared for a moment longer before shutting her eyes and sighing loudly. She strenuously sat up and took 2B’s hand in hers and with her help, stood back up and faced the couple.

Her eyes flashed across the two embracing androids. She saw how he clung to her for support. She saw how tenderly she comforted him with her fingers weaving through his hair. She saw how intimately they held each other. She instinctively clenched her fists but brought her arm up quickly to wipe the blood from her face to hide it, as if to push whatever she was feeling from her mind. The android breathed deeply for a minute before directing her gaze at 9S.

“9S…”

He flinched and his grip tightened on 2B’s back, but he slowly turned his head to face A2.

“I’m… sorry.” She sighed. “2B’s right. I should have told you myself. I shouldn’t have forced my reason to live on anyone else like that.”

9S glared at her for a moment as a million potential responses flashed through his mind. 2B’s hand came up and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze and a single response solidified.

“I’m sorry too. I…” His voice quavered. “I’m sorry. I let grief and revenge take control of my life and used you as a scapegoat for my pain… You’re right… I knew 2B was… dying already, there were… a lot of clues…”

Another awkward silence ensued as none of them really knew what to do next. 2B squeezed 9S’s shoulder again and quietly cleared her throat.

“A2. Why don’t you come back to camp with us? We can help get you cleaned up and repaired.”

A2 pondered her request for a moment. “Eh. Why not. I could definitely use some work on this.” She gestured to her face, causing 9S to flinch slightly. “…But I’m not moving in with you if that’s your end goal.”

2B laughed softly and 9S couldn’t help but crack a small smile in response but quickly forced it back into a scowl.

“I’d rather you not move in either. Just because we’re not really enemies anymore, doesn’t make us friends.”

“I was just about to say that myself.” She snorted.

“Come on you two,” 2B said, “let’s go back and get some rest. We have a lot of catching up to do still. Do either of you need staunching gel right now?”

“Eh, I’m good, feels like the bleeding stopped on its own.” A2 said as she touched her face lightly to check for fresh blood.

“Yeah, same.” 9S said quietly, flashing his scabby hands at her.

“All right, let’s head out then.” 2B took one of 9S’s hands tenderly in her own and led the way.

“Right.” The other two responded in unison and followed awkwardly. 9S shifted himself between 2B and A2 as she came up behind them and flashed her a glare until she rolled her eyes and gave them more space.

* * *

“So uh…” 9S said after a long silence. “What’s with the pods?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” A2 shrugged. “They just appeared shortly after I was revived and won’t leave me alone. They’ve come in handy a few times but are mostly just annoying as hell. Just like that tin can there was back then.” She grunted, pointing at Pod 042.

The pod continued floating alongside 2B silently.

“Oh you’re just gonna ignore me now? After you couldn’t shut the fuck up before?”

“This unit has been reassigned to Unit 2B after her successful revival. I am no longer required to respond to Unit A2 unless it’s relevant to the current mission.”

“Are you serious?” She snorted. “I mean, it’s not like I _want_  you to continue blabbering at me all the time, but… argh never mind.”

“Sounds like someone missed having a companion.” 9S snarked immediately.

“I did not!” She snapped back. “I have these three toasters following me around now, and her pod talked more than the three of them combined… Why’s it being like that anyway?”

“Well, judging by your reaction to it now, you were probably being an ass to it when it was serving you and it’s mad at you.”

“ _Really?!_  Can pods even _get_  angry?”

“A2, maybe if you were to give it some affection it’ll warm back up to you.” 2B said.

“Why and how the hell would I do that?”

“Just watch.” 2B turned to her pod and gently patted its cold metal casing.

“Report: Pleasant.” It responded as it twirled around happily.

“Like that.” She smiled.

“Yeah uh, no, I’m not doing that.” She kept walking in silence with a scowl. The other two kept their eyes on her as she pretended not to notice. 9S’s shit-eating-grin grew wider as her scowl grew angrier until she threw her hands up and sighed loudly.

“Ok fine! Come here pod.” It immediately floated over to her and hovered silently at about chest level.

She rubbed its side lightly and forced a smile on her face. “You’re uh… doing a good job pod.”

“Report: Your affinity with this pod has increased.” It spun and circled around her once before floating back to 2B, stopping about halfway between the two.

“Heh, would you look at that.” A2 said. “Guess that means we’re friends again?”

“Affirmative.”

A2 snorted. “Don’t think this is permission to talk my ear off again.”

“Remark not understood. It is physically impossible to sever an ear with sound alone.”

“Are you? Actually never mind. This whole thing is ridiculous.” She continued walking on in silence as 9S and 2B laughed quietly at the exchange.

“Oh, um… also. A2.” 9S spoke up after a while. “What did you mean when you said you owe it to Pascal to bring him books? Does it… have something to do with what happened to the village?”

A2 flinched at his words and looked away as she bit her lip.

“Do you want the long version or the short version?” She asked flatly.

“What the fuck do you think?”

She sighed. “It has everything to do with that… I’m the one who deleted his memories.”

“What?!” 9S asked in shock. “Why would you–”

“Let me finish… For whatever reason, half of the village suddenly went berserk and began attacking the other half. He called me for help and I came as quick as I could… but there was nothing I could do to save them. I had to kill them all so they didn’t go after Pascal and the children as they escaped.” Her voice wavered and she seemed… upset.

“Wait… you became _friends_  with Pascal and chose to help him?” 9S asked in surprise.

“I don’t know if "friends” is the best word. He helped me out when I needed a new fuel filter and I felt compelled to return the favor… even though he’s a machine…

“Anyway… He managed to get the children to safety, but more machines were attacking when I got there. I fought them all off, but when we went back to where the children were hiding… they had all killed themselves… Every one of them… dead.”

“What? Why would they do that?”

“Fear.” She said in almost a whisper.

“Huh?”

“Pascal had taught them what fear was so they wouldn’t get themselves killed by something stupid. But in the end… it drove them to take their own lives because they couldn’t handle everything that was happening.”

Neither of them knew how to respond to that, so the three of them continued on in shocked silence for a while. 9S’s mind was racing to find a reason for all of this. Why would that happen? Why did Pascal ask her for help and not him? Why _did_  she help?

“So…” 9S mumbled. “Because of everything that happened… he asked you to wipe his memories didn’t he?”

“Yes… either that… or kill him. And I couldn’t bring myself to do that.” She sighed.

“Oh… But… why did they go berserk and send other machines after them in the first place?”

“Like I said, I have no idea. I didn’t exactly have any time to go digging around for the _how_  and _why_ when I had fifty million cannibal machines chasing after my ass.”

9S huffed at her response, but said nothing.

“Thank you, A2.” 2B murmured. “For helping Pascal and bringing him books after all this happened.”

“Yeah…” She picked up the pace slightly and they continued on in silence the rest of the way to camp.

* * *

“Number 2… A2… You’re alive!” Anemone almost yelled in disbelief when she saw the three walk through the entrance. She ran over to greet them, eyes wide with amazement. 

“I hadn’t seen you since before the tower collapsed; I thought the worst might have happened. These two told me you were revived too, but it’s hard to be hopeful with the world like it is these days if I can’t see things for myself.”

“Yeah I’m alive, but I wasn’t planning on coming near here with these two around because, well…” She gestured to her face and 9S shifted his glance away slightly, almost ashamed. “Anyway, I’m sure they’ve told you their side of the story.”

“Yes… they have. I’m not here to make judgments though; this war has taken its toll on everyone and we can’t expect anyone to make the best decisions under these conditions every time. When we have time, I would love to sit down with you and hear your side too… and catch up on everything that went on in the years we were apart.”

A2 nodded slowly. “You’re right. We do need to have a long talk. And Anemone. I’m… sorry, for breaking contact with you for so long.”

“D-don’t worry about it. I’m glad to see you’re all safe now. Well… mostly. What exactly happened earlier?”

“We had a talk… and it escalated.” 9S said. “In the end… we both realized we could have acted… better… during the whole thing.”

“Well, it’s good you seem to be coming to terms with everything… er… somewhat, at least. But please, don’t let me hold you up anymore, you look like you definitely need some medical attention.”

“Yeah, I probably do.” A2 responded. 2B and 9S gave Anemone a polite nod before heading for the med tent with A2 in tow.

“W-what happened here?” Popola gasped the moment she saw the two bloodied androids.

“We uh… fell.” 9S mumbled.

“That’s an… interesting way to fall.” Devola chimed in.

“Yeah, it kinda is.” A2 said. “Anyway, can you fix this or not, it hurts like shit.”

“Of course!” Said Popola.

“It _is_  our job, after all.” Added Devola.

“Right.” A2 said as she and 9S sat down on opposite ends of the room. Popola took 9S’s hands and began cleaning and stitching the busted skin back together, while Devola got to work on the mess on A2’s face.

“Stop moving so much.” Devola snapped. “Unless you want your face to heal up misshapen.”

“Eh, I’m not here to look pretty for anyone.” She snarked back.

Devola huffed in response. “What happened to you anyway, like, besides the face?”

“I’ve been without… proper maintenance for a few years now. It happens.”

“I’m honestly amazed you’re still alive after all this time, especially since you’re an older YoRHa model and… well…”

“Believe me, I’m just as amazed as you are.”

“All five of us shouldn’t be alive right now.” 2B said. “But by some weird fluke here we are under the same roof.”

9S smiled softly and rested his head against 2B. “Heh, it’s mostly thanks to you though 2B.”

She smiled back. “Don’t discount the role you and the pods played though. And Devola of course, she helped you heal up beautifully after our last battle.”

A2 rolled her eyes at their puppy love but said nothing. She flinched again as Devola gave her a quick flick on the lip to test if her nerves were reconnected correctly and smiled as she snorted in annoyance.

“All right, it looks like we have the skin all back together nicely, for both of you.” Popola said. 9S brought his hand to his face and admired the neat stitching on his knuckles. He wasn’t even sure why he needed stitches in the first place, Popola had expertly joined the skin back together and all he could see were a few thin lines where the deeper splits were, and all he could feel was a dull throb on the backs of his hands.

Devola smiled again as she admired her handiwork as A2 carefully felt along her injuries.

“Hey don’t pick at that, unless you want to take twice as long to heal up.” She snapped and A2 grunted in response. “Anyway, you should be good to go for now. Your nanomachines should be able to take care of the rest and we can get the stitches out sometime tomorrow.”

“We don’t have any spare beds in the interior of camp,” Popola said, turning to A2, “so feel free to rest on one of these cots until something frees up. Construction is almost finished on the building next to us, so you’ll be free to take your own room soon if you choose to stay.”

“Eh, there’s too many people here. I’ll find a nice tree or something nearby.”

“Well, all right. We’ll let you know when we’re ready to begin work on your body.”

“…Thank you. See you tomorrow I guess.” She forced a small smile at the healers and turned to leave.

“We’re going to go too. We need to talk for a while.” 2B said, squeezing 9S’s shoulder gently.

“Understandable.” Replied Popola. “We’ll see you later.”

The two nodded at the twins and headed back to their room. Once they were inside, 9S immediately threw himself on the bed and sighed loudly as he flexed his still-tender hands. 2B flopped down beside him and pulled him into her lap, weaving her fingers into his hair to massage his scalp.

“How are you feeling now Nines?” She asked softly.

“I don’t know really.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know. I…” He rolled on his side and pushed his face into her stomach. She smiled and continued comforting him silently.

“I’m proud of you Nines.”

“Huh?” He turned his head back up to look at her in confusion.

“I can’t imagine how hard it must have been on you to face her again after everything that happened, and with no warning either.” She paused. “You… apologized for your wrongdoings and admitted some things that were probably very hard to think about. And you actually talked to her a bit on the way back.”

“Yeah… I guess.” He sighed. “Still… I mean… it’s not like she didn’t deserve getting punched like that, but like… I let my emotions… get the better of me again. What if she had fought back? I don’t stand a chance against her in close combat and you could have gotten hurt trying to break us up.” He pushed his face back into her belly and groaned.

“I’m… sorry.” He mumbled.

“Don’t be sorry. Everything turned out all right. We have one less thing to worry about now.”

“I guess…”

2B smiled softly and slid her hands under the collar of his shirt as she began working the tight muscles of his shoulders. He hummed and leaned into the contact as he brought his own hand around to massage her lower back.

“I just… I still don’t want to see her ever again though. I know she’s not going to try to kill you again or anything, but, just looking at her… the way she looks at me with your face… just brings back memories I don’t want to think about. About everything that happened… everything she did… everything _I_  did.”

“I know.” She said quietly. “And she probably knows this all too. She won’t be here for long. She’ll probably leave after she gets repaired and you won’t ever have to see her again.”

“Yeah, I know. It’ll be fine.” He told himself. “You’re here, you’re safe, she’s not our enemy, and she’s leaving soon. It’ll be ok.”

2B hummed in response. “It’ll be fine, you’ve faced one of your demons and it can only get better from here on.”

“Yeah. You’re right.” He sat up and gave her a quick kiss and unconsciously ran his hand up her leg lightly. “You’re right, now I can handle anything!”

She laughed softly and kissed him back. Her smile turned into a faint smirk as she grabbed his leg back. “Anything, you say? Can you handle _this_?“ She said as she pushed him down on the bed and climbed on top of him with lightning speed.

“ _Especially_  that.” He teased back and they quickly got busy.

* * *

“Are you serious? Like hell I’m letting you do that!” A2 hissed at the twins’ modest demand when she showed up the next day.

“Relax A2,” said Devola, “it’s not like we’re going to dump you in the ocean. 2B and 9S have generously offered to let us use their tub; they even have it heated.”

“I don’t care, give me a wash cloth and I’ll just wipe the dirt off.”

“Not a chance. You’re going to need a deep clean or your new skin will just fall right off.”

“I’ll take my chances with the rag.”

Devola let out a loud sigh. “I was worried you might say that.” She got up and walked to 2B and 9S’s room and knocked lightly on the door. It opened almost immediately and 9S poked his head out and began talking to Devola. He glanced at A2 with an evil smirk on his face before disappearing inside the room and coming back out moments later with 2B in tow.

_These fuckers had planned this all along._  She thought as she caught a glimpse of the heavy duty work clothes they were both wearing and the… were those handcuffs 9S was holding? She wasn’t about to ask _why_  he had handcuffs lying around in their room though because she had bigger problems she was about to deal with in that moment.

“Morning A2!” 9S said with a fake-cheery tone. “Ready for your long overdue maintenance?”

"I already told you to just give me a wash cloth or a sponge or some shit, I am _not_  getting in that bath.”

“I don’t think you have a choice in this matter, it’s either take a bath or not get your skin back, and I couldn’t possibly leave you to continue suffering when you’re in such a poor stair of disrepair.”

“Don’t pull that bullshit on me kid. I know _exactly_  why you wanna do this.”

9S shrugged. “All right, you got me there. But really, you’re getting a bath whether you like it or not. I’m not letting you let Devola and Popola’s hard work go to waste because you like being covered in muck.” The two YoRHa approached A2 slowly and without another word, they pounced. She was ready for them and dodged gracefully back, but what she was _not_  ready for, however, was the leg Devola had outstretched right behind her. She gasped in shock as she crashed to the ground and was pinned down by the three of them while Popola and several nearby Resistance members stood back and watched nervously.

She struggled hard, flailing and kicking and screaming the whole time, but in the end, she found handcuffs snapped tightly around her wrists _and_  ankles. That wasn’t going to stop her from fighting long and hard as they dragged her toward the bath. Popola gave her an apologetic look as she trailed behind with a basket full of sponges and brushes.

She knew she was fighting a losing battle as she grabbed the door frame with her teeth and held fast. The three continued pulling until she heard a crack and the splintering of wood as a chunk of the frame came free in her mouth. She gagged and spat the particles out and the other androids took that chance to hoist her up and dump her in the tub, sending a large splash of water over everything. Although it didn’t seem to matter as they had prepared for this event by moving or covering everything previously within reach.

A2 screeched and continued fighting as 2B and 9S held her down in the warm water while Devola and Popola got to work scrubbing all the dirt off. She began breathlessly bleating every expletive she could think of as her energy slowly depleted. She cursed herself as well for not keeping in shape as much as she could since there weren’t nearly as many hostile machines to fight anymore.

Popola pulled out a couple of bottles and began dumping them into the tub, slowly filling the room with a foul smell and making A2’s whole body tingle in a strange way.

“What the hell did you put in there?” She panted.

“Just a few things to help loosen the dirt and grease.” Devola responded as she grabbed her head and dunked it under the water.

“NO!” A2 jerked her whole body up and screamed like a dying animal, throwing all four other androids off her effortlessly. She jumped up and landed face down on the floor, halfway out of the bath and lay there panting for a moment. A trickle of blood dripped down where her injury split back open on impact.

“A2 what…” 2B said as she regained her balance.

“I told you all… I fucking hate water.”

"Well, there’s quite a bit of difference between hating something and being deathly afraid of it.” Devola said.

“Yeah, and we just thought it was the first option and you were just being a shit.” Chimed 9S. 2B huffed and gave him an annoyed look but he didn’t seem to notice as she was standing behind him.

“Fuck you.” She groaned and 9S made a face at her in response.

“A2, are you ok?” Popola asked quietly.

“Fine, I’m just fucking dandy!” She growled as she shifted herself back up into the tub, defeated. “Just get it fucking over with already.”

The four looked at each other nervously (although 9S didn’t look quite as concerned as the rest of them), before slowly approaching A2 and finishing washing off the dejected android. It went much quicker now that she stopped struggling but all four of them noticed her very faintly trembling every time they had to dump water over her head. They all felt a bit of guilt twisting inside them at the sight; even 9S refused to look at her in the eye as he picked dirt out of the joints on her hands.

Finally, Popola gave them the green light and they unlocked the handcuffs, letting A2 immediately fly out of the tub and out into the sun where she shook herself off like a dog. 2B picked up a towel and handed it to her; A2 crankily stared at it for a moment before taking it from her hands and drying off.

When she was sufficiently dry, she headed back to the med tent where Devola and Popola were already waiting with a host of tools and devices. They had slipped into dry clothes and tied their hair back in the meantime and they both smiled softly as they gestured to the bed beside them. Well, Popola did at least, Devola looked slightly less thrilled about it all.

The twins worked for several hours, carefully attaching new skin wherever the old had worn away to black over the years. They removed her permanently attached heels and realigned her legs so she could walk normally for the first time in her life. She was a bit unsteady on her feet when she slipped on some loaner shoes and took her first few steps; although she did notice a bit less tension in her back as she got used to her new alignment.

A2 tossed the sad bit of cloth that could barely be called a shirt and replaced it with some more comfortable Resistance clothes. It was definitely less scratchy than the previous fabric, but she almost missed the freedom of feeling the breeze blow across her body as she ran from place to place. They dug through the small assortment of available clothes until she settled on a thin tank top and short shorts, definitely nicer than a thick shirt and long pants.

“Why can’t I just stay the way I was before.” She whined.

“Do you see any other androids running around naked here?” Devola retorted.

“No, but nothing’s stopping them from doing it.”

Devola just sighed and gave her an annoyed look.

“Besides,” A2 continued, “these are scratchy and uncomfortable.”

“Didn’t you just comment on how soft they were?” Asked Popola.

“…No.”

Now it was Popola’s turn to sigh as she continued cleaning up the mess of rejected clothes A2 had tossed around the room while she was trying things on.

“Just wear the clothes A2. At least some pants. It’s the least you could do in return for us putting your damn skin back on.”

“Fine…” She snorted. “And thank you… it actually does feel a lot better than before. The air doesn’t feel quite as… harsh? against my body as it used to.”

“I’m glad.” Smile Popola “We’re always here to help out in any way we can.”

“Even if you’re fighting us every step of the way.” Added Devola.

A2 flinched at her words and looked at the ground. “I’m… sorry. I’m just… everything’s been…” she sighed loudly, “never mind. I’m sorry, and that’s all there is to it.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it, a plain old sorry is more than we can usually get out of people who were… uh… rude to us in the past.”

A2 looked back up at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Er, nothing, really. You’re free to go. Try not to kill the next people to help you out in the future.”

A2’s eyes flashed between the twins for a moment longer before she stood up, deciding it wasn’t worth it to push for more information.

“Thank you…” She bowed. “I’ve been this way for such a long time I guess I had gotten used to everything feeling not-quite-right when it came to my body. Please, let me know what I need to do to repay you for this.”

“Well, I don’t think there’s much we really need these days.” Popola said.  
“But we could give you a list of supplies you could bring back to us whenever you happen to come across them in your travels.” Finished Devola.

“I can do that.” A2 responded. Devola reached into a nearby chest and pulled out a small booklet and handed it to her. She flipped through it and saw a huge list of various materials with detailed directions on how to find and collect them.

“Pod 013. Record this information for me.”

“Affirmative.” It said as it took the booklet in its stubby arms and began scanning it page by page.

“Well,” She said as she handed the list back to Devola, “if that’s everything, I guess I’ll be off. Thank you again.” She bowed before turning to leave and nearly colliding with Anemone.

“Oh, A2, I caught you in time.” She said.

“Huh?”

“We’ve just got word a large group of hostile machines have been detected deep in the forest area and I would greatly appreciate it if you accompanied 2B and 9S when they head out to confront them.”

“You don’t even have to ask if you want me to smash some machines. Although I’d much rather do it alone, teamwork isn’t my thing, and 9S and I didn’t exactly become best buddies overnight or anything.”

“No can do. Our sources say they’re nothing to mess with. They’ve destroyed an entire outpost of nearly twenty androids like it was nothing. They left only one survivor who was in pretty bad condition, and we haven’t been able to contact them since they first sent a distress signal to us, so we fear the worst.”

A2 sighed loudly. “Fine, I’ll go.”

“Appreciated. They’ll be leaving in around a half hour, think you can be ready by then?”

“I don’t know how much more ready I can get.” She shrugged as she headed out to wait.

* * *

Thirty tedious minutes passed and 2B and 9S met the grumpy A2 at the entrance to the camp.

“The only reason we’re taking you is because Anemone wanted us to, and all of the other YoRHa here are out on their own missions.” Groaned 9S.

“There’s no need to voice your dislike of me every time you have the chance; just once a day is fine.” A2 snapped back.

2B put her hand on 9S’s shoulder. “ _Nines._ ” She said in a gentle, yet stern tone.

He looked away, slightly ashamed. “…Sorry.”

“Let’s just get this over with.” Said A2 as she turned and headed out. 9S pulled out the map on his pod and quickly took the lead with 2B at his side.

“Ughhh… I thought we killed all of them weeks ago.” Groaned 9S.

“We don’t know if they’re related to the one we fought then.” 2B said. “The forest is enormous and it’s easy to hide multiple groups of enemies in it.”

“I know, I know. I’m just… so tired of fighting. Every time we think we’ve driven the last hostile out, more pop up in their place.”

“I understand. I’m tired too. But this can’t go on forever. We get word about peaceful colonies of machines popping up around the area more often than hostiles being… hostile nowadays.”

“Mmm… that’s true.”

9S’s discomfort slowly dissipated the further they traveled as he became more and more chatty with 2B. Occasionally she would ask A2 a question or two about her life or current events in an attempt to make small talk and 9S would try to hide his annoyance as she gave short answers in response. He couldn’t help but glance back nervously at her once in a while as if making sure she wasn’t about to snap and become the monster he once thought she was.

“We should be there soon.” He said after over an hour of traveling. “Stay on your toes.”

“Right.” A2 and 2B responded. Their hands went to their swords as they marched forward until they could hear the telltale sounds of mechanical movement not far ahead.

“I’ll send some pod missiles in the middle of this mess to scatter them. A2 you go off to the left, 2B and I will take the right.”

“Sure.”

He fired off the missiles and the three bolted into action the moment they heard the explosions and metallic screeching from damaged enemies. It didn’t take long for the two to run into a small group and they got to work eliminating them.

“Be careful 2B. I haven’t seen ones like these before.” He warned. “I can’t tell if they just look unusual or if there’s any functional differences to them, so we should stay on our toes.”

“Right.” She responded as she cleaved a smaller one in half.

They spent the next ten or so minutes dancing in and out of the fray, slaying the hostiles left and right. So far, everything looked relatively normal. The enemies were definitely hardier and a bit faster than usual, but none of them unleashed any viruses upon them or pulled some new skill out of thin air. Still, the three of them all kept their guards up until the last enemy was spotted running away not far from where they were.

They found it limping through a large clearing just as A2 arrived from the opposite direction. 9S charged at it as she did and both their swords tore through it simultaneously; its metallic scream pierced the air and was quickly silenced.

“That was mine.” He hissed as he sheathed his sword.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you had written your name on it.” She responded sarcastically.

2B sighed. “Please you tw–”

“Alert: Large scale enemy inbound.” All five pods blared at once, causing the three androids to jump in shock. “Approaching from approximately 1.3 kilometers southeast. Fighting goliath class enemies in such dense forest is not recommended. Proposal: allow the enemy to approach the current area and collaborate to defeat immediately.”

The trio pulled out their weapons and faced the oncoming enemy. They could feel the ground start to rumble as it approached and they kept their eyes peeled on the area ahead for any signs of it.

“Alert: Enemy is currently 500 meters from this location.”

A2 shifted from side to side as she glanced back at her pods to make sure they were all there.

“Alert: Enemy is currently 250 meters from this location.”

2B relaxed her shoulders and rolled her neck to ease the tension that was building up inside her.

“Alert: Enemy is currently 100 meters from this location.”

9S took deep slow breaths to calm his trembling hands. The rumbling had increased tremendously and rocks were jumping all over the place as if they were alive.

“Alert: Enemy is currently 50 meters from this location.”

“What the hell? We should be able to see it now!” 9S yelled.

“Is it… underground?” 2B

“Shit… This better not be what I think it is.” A2 growled to herself. 9S twitched his head in her direction and glared.

“What are you talking about?” He snapped.

Just then, the ground exploded not ten meters from them as an enormous serpentine machine burst from the earth, sending sparks flying in a 360-degree radius as its metal body scraped against the rocks as it emerged.  

“Ah shit, not you again.” A2 scowled as the beast let out a deafening roar at the trio.


	13. Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio has to work together to defeat the giant worm.

“What in the hell?!” Screamed 9S as the thirty meter behemoth emerged from the ground.

It roared again as its segmented body began circling the area, shooting blasts of energy in all directions. Down its iridescent length were lines of thousands of tiny winglets that beat in unison to keep itself airborne.

On its face, an enormous drill splits into four pieces, forming two sets of razor-sharp mandibles that began forcefully snapping together in a threatening manner. The gaping maw of the beast was filled with rows of serrated teeth, with dozens of tendrils thrashing in any and all directions. Directly above it, two beady red eyes flash independently between the three androids, seizing each of them up.

“It can fly now?!” A2 screamed.

“Wait, what do you mean _now_? You've seen this thing before?”

“Yep. I've been fighting this thing on and off in the desert for quite some time now, but every time I get close to finishing it off it retreats into the sand and I don't see it again for another week.”

“Why the hell didn't you tell us about it?”

“Because it's my problem to deal with, and it's never left the desert before, so-”

“We can chat later,” interrupted 2B, “let's take this thing down first.”

“Right!” A2 and 9S said in unison and turned their focus to their target.

A2 immediately launched herself up on top of it and began slashing and stabbing at everything she could reach. 2B and 9S both rained pod fire into its face but none of them seemed to be making any headway as their attacks just bounced right off.

“Shit,” A2 panted, “this thing's gotten some major upgrades since we last fought. I can't lay a scratch on it.”

“Neither can I.” Said 2B.

“I'll see if I can hack it. Cover me!” 9S yelled as the two combat models nodded and split up, dividing its attention by attacking it from two angles.

9S got into position, close enough to hack in, but not too close to get blasted apart. He dove inside its hacking space and immediately got to work.

_Shit, these hacking defenses are almost as tough as its physical ones._ He searched through its data, hoping to find any weaknesses in it. _Nothing I can't do, just going to be a huge pain._

_Name: Lorena. Manufactured 536 years 3 days ago. Malfunctioned and lost in the desert approximately 535 years 352 days ago. Reawakened 1693 hours ago. Repaired 19 times since then._ _Blah blah blah._ _None of this is useful. Tell me how to disable it._

9S dove deeper and deeper into its circuits, in search of what he needed. He was so busy tearing apart its defenses that he didn't notice its thick tail flying at him at lighting speed.

“Nines!” 2B screamed and rushed to him, just in time to shove him out of the way. She tried to dodge as well, but was a split second too slow and she took the full brunt of the impact and was sent flying across the clearing. She hit the ground hard and rolled for several meters before coming to a stop and groaning loudly. In an instant she had flipped herself back over, but was struggling to get back on her feet as her whole body shook and refused to do what she asked.

“2B!” He wailed as he rushed to her aid as fast as his legs could carry him. A trail of red particles appeared around her but she seemed too stunned to notice the impending attack. “2B get out of there!” He screamed again. He could hear the telltale sound of the goliath unleashing a devastating laser strike right at her and he could only watch in horror as... it missed?

The brilliant red beam tore through the clearing and into the dense forest surrounding them, sending dirt and burning wood particles hundreds of feet in all directions. 2B sat there in complete shock as the beam missed her by less than a meter; her hair stood on end as the static it generated streaked through the surrounding area.

9S quickly glanced back at the machine as he continued running to see that A2 had thrown herself right into its face, shoving it just far enough to move its laser path safely away from 2B. She then hooked her fingers around its writhing tentacles and began hacking away at them with her sword.

“Get her out of here!” A2 yelled as the goliath thrashed around and threw her high into the air. She grabbed her pod and rained missiles down on it as she floated safely to the ground.

“Right!” There was no time to think about anything other than 2B's safety as he continued on.

“2B! Are you ok?” 9S cried as he reached her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and quickly guided her behind a large boulder to assess the damage safely.

“Y-yeah.” She panted. “Just knocked... my circuits out of whack... I don't think anything's broken... Just need... to catch my breath...” 9S sighed in relief and pushed his head into her chest and let out a choked sob. Her hand came up and gently rubbed his back and he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

“Oh thank god.” He breathed. “Ok, s-stay here and recover, ok? I've almost finished the hack and I'll take care of that piece of trash for you!” He squeezed her hand and ran towards the behemoth, but nearly fell as she didn't let go.

“Nines, be safe... and stay calm ok? It'll be fine” 2B smiled before releasing her grip.

9S nodded nervously, not quite knowing how to respond. He felt terrible leaving her behind while she was still in pain like that, but there wasn't anything else he could do, and that piece of shit had to pay for hurting 2B.

The moment he was back in range, he hacked back in and found where he left off. _Just gotta shut this down and overload that and... there!_ He looked up to see the worm seize up as thin flames forced their way through the cracks on every segment, causing each and every one of its winglets to detach and flutter to the ground. The goliath reached up to the sky in a final attempt to fly before crashing down with a thunderous bang.

The beast wasn't done yet. It thrashed and rolled around as it reoriented itself and tried to recover from its internal combustion. 9S was ready this time and expertly dodged back as it charged him, blasting it with his pod's laser. Just like before, his lasers had no effect on slowing its erratic movements.

“Stop flailing around and just die!” _Dammit. It's not giving me an opening._

A2 wasn't having any better luck on her end. She continued trying to draw it off but it seemed to know what the real threat was as it was set on destroying 9S. He was tiring quickly as it took all of his energy just to dodge its incoming attacks.

He could feel rage bubbling up inside him the more he failed to hack the beast. _You need to die. You need to fucking die. You don't fucking touch 2B like that._ His movements started becoming more erratic and predictable as his frustration grew and the beast came closer and closer to landing a hit on him.

“Hey asshole!” A2 screamed as she sliced another tentacle off. “Fight me over here! Or are you _scared_?” It either didn't understand her words, or it was deliberately ignoring her as it focused all its attention on the scanner.

“Shit!” 9S yelped as he narrowly dodged its jaws. “What the hell do we do now? It's even harder to fight than when it could fly!”

Just then three laser blasts came out of nowhere, knocking the worm to the side, stunning it momentarily. 2B rushed out from where she was recovering with her loyal pod at her side and took the chance to get on top of its enormous head. She sliced off the remaining tentacles around its face and jumped off, sprinting in the opposite direction. It shook itself off and began slithering after her.

“2B! Are you--”

“I'm fine! Just finish it off!” She yelled back as she and A2 dashed back and forth, bringing it further and further away from him.

“R-right!” 9S hacked back in immediately and continued trying to exploit any weaknesses he could find. _You need to fucking die._ He entered his code. Nothing. _What? Why isn't it working?_ The hacker searched through it again and saw it was riddled with mistypes and skipped sections. _What the hell? Is it fucking with my code? Ughhh...would you just..._

_**Nines, Stay calm ok?**_ He could hear 2B's voice in the back of his mind after another failed attempt at fixing it. _Oh... that's what she meant..._

_It's not the worm that's sabotaging my hack. It's just..._ He was entering code in so fast that he didn't notice any errors that he normally could have picked out with no issues. _I'm... letting anger get the best of me again._

9S shook his head and took a step back. _Shit... she's right. Just breathe. This thing's not going to die if I can't compose myself. 2B needs me to be calm, be calm, be calm. Just slow down and hack like any normal enemy._ He breathed deeply and looked back into the code. The errors were much more apparent to him, and he quickly worked to fix them as the girls continued fighting with all their might to protect him.

The machine let out a deafening roar as A2 plunged her sword into its eye. It shook her off and looked around in a panic as it realized it was fighting a losing battle. When it eyed the hole it emerged from, it fused its four mandibles back into its original drill shape and dove for it.

“Oh no you fucking don't!” 9S yelled as he entered the last few lines of code he needed to disable it. _Come on. Work!_ An electric crackle rang through the clearing as the drill stopped and its mandibles drooped limply along its mouth. _Haha. I did it!_

“2B! The tunnel!” He yelled. She got the message and immediately dashed over to send a barrage of missiles into the hole, causing a good ten meters of ground to cave in on itself. The goliath paused for a second but continued on, tearing its way past the rubble through the trees in an attempt to escape.

_Just a few more things... Got it!_ He quickly disabled the muscles on its right side and it immediately coiled itself all the way to the left, taking even more trees with it until the sheer number of fallen lumber brought it to a halt. It flopped around, trying to use its remaining muscles to accommodate itself, but 2B and A2 were on it in in instant, searching around and digging their swords into any weaknesses they could find.

“2B! Fire your pod's laser into it's eye!”

“Right!” She yelled as she jumped on its face and aimed her pod directly into the gaping hole where its eye used to be. It fired its laser at maximum output, sending a torrent of energy surging through the worm's body. The creature reared back and thrashed around as it rattled out its final cry and its movements ceased while reaching high up in the sky. A2 flung herself at its back, causing it to creak, and quickly begin falling to the ground with a resounding crash.

9S bolted over towards 2B, keeping an eye on the goliath's systems to make sure it was actually dead. She turned and ran towards him as well and they met in the middle and wrapped their arms around each other.

“2B are you ok?” He asked, pulling back to check her over for any more injuries.

“Yes, Nines. I'm still a bit sore, but my pod gave me a more thorough check up while I was recovering and it seems it should all heal up on its own with some rest.”

9S sighed in relief. “Oh, I'm so glad. I was so scared. I was so... angry.”

“I know. I was too, that was the toughest enemy I've fought in a long time. But we did it, and you did great. I was worried...”

“That I'd let it get to me?” 9S finished.

“Mmm...” She responded quietly.

“It did at first.” He admitted. “But I remembered what you said, and I was able to calm myself down to keep working on it.”

“I'm glad.” She squeezed him harder and let go as they heard footsteps approaching from around the tangle of coils. A2 poked her head out and began cautiously advancing towards them, smacking her sword against the beast's side in an attempt to elicit any reaction.

“A2...” 9S said quietly.

“This thing dead for sure?” She asked flatly.

“Y-yeah. I've checked it a few times and there's no signs of life anywhere. Although I would try to dismantle it a bit more before leaving, just in case.”

“I've already hacked its head off and smashed its core.” She responded.

“Oh... well, that probably should do it then.” He paused and looked at her uncomfortably as he tried to formulate his next sentences. “Hey, A2?”

“Yeah?”

“...Thank you. For saving 2B.” His body began trembling slightly. “That was... you... I almost lost her again... but you saved her.”

“Hey uh... don't mention it. I did what I had to do.” She shrugged.

9S wasn't content with just that. “And A2... I'm sorry. For everything. The way I acted before... The way I treated you these past few days. It... it wasn't right and...” Tears began bubbling up in his eyes as he struggled with his words.

“9S.”

“Yeah.”

“It's... ok. You and I... we both went through some rough shit alone and I can't really blame you.”

9S nodded slowly.

“And...” she continued, “eh, you know what? I'm not good with sentimental shit like this. Just forget about it.” She awkwardly put a hand on his shoulder. “And, I know I've said this before, and shouldn't have to say it again, but I will anyway: I'm sorry too.”

“A2...” 9S wiped a tear from his eye and without warning threw his arms around her and pulled her into a hug as he began wailing like a lost child. A2 tensed up and looked to 2B for help, but she simply smiled and joined in the hug a split second after, wrapping her arms around the both of them and nuzzling the back of 9S's neck. A2 brought her hand up and awkwardly patted him on the head as he continued sobbing.

“Ok, ok, that's enough, this is weird.” She said after a moment as she pushed them back. 2B kept holding onto 9S as his sobs quieted into soft sniffles.

“...Sorry. I don't really know where that came from. But I was so scared I might lose 2B again today. I just...”

“Nobody should have to lose the ones the care about.” She responded.

“No... and...”

2B continued. “Let's all fight for a future where that never happens again.” 9S nodded, wiping his eyes. A2 hummed in agreement and she cracked a small smile at them.

“Hey you two.” 2B said softly. “Let's head back to camp already, I could go for a bath and a nice long rest.”

“Hey now, that's my line.” 9S teased and 2B laughed quietly in response.

“I'll pass on the bath... but a nap sounds good.” A2 said.

“You're still welcome back to camp with us, there should be some free beds now, and we can move one to give you more privacy if you want.”

A2 paused and pondered her offer for a moment. “You know what? I'd like that. I still need to catch up with Anemone anyway. Let's go.” And without any further hesitation, A2 turned and headed back to camp with the other two hurrying behind her to keep pace.


	14. Emil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 9S asks A2 why she was fighting the worm in the desert and she shows him and 2B the place in the desert where she fought the Emil copies. They spend some time bringing each other up to speed on what they knew about Emil, when 9S spies a familiar small orb half buried in the sand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fucking hell got damn this chapter was hard to write. There were so many directions I could take so it was super challenging picking one, and creating dialogue between Emil and A2. But here it is, and once I'm finished with part 2, then HOPEFULLY I'll be able to speed up my update progress on the series.
> 
> Note: This sort of follows the new "Emil's Recollection" short story that came out [[Link]](https://theark.wiki/w/Emil%27s_Recollection), which says 2B and 9S were the ones that fought the clones. But I had already started writing it so A2 was the one that did it, and I feel that was more meaningful to have it that way.
> 
> **Anyway I post updates and stuff on my tumblr so if I end up taking 5 years up update the next chapter again, just check here:[[Here]](https://nierly-amazing.tumblr.com/tagged/open%20the%20memory%20cage)**

“9S would you stop fussing over 2B so much?” Devola sighed as she finished bandaging a cut on A2's thigh. “She's fine; her nanomachines can handle everything on their own.”

“I _know_ but I just want to be sure.” He whined as he looked her over for the nth time after the three of them returned to camp after defeating the goliath worm. 2B simply smiled softly; they all knew he was overreacting, but she wasn't about to stop him from babying her right that moment.

“Anyway,” Devola continued, “you're all good to go. I really hope you don't make a habit of this though, our jobs are already busy enough.”

“Heh... sorry about that.” 9S responded, slightly embarrassed as the twins both headed out to tend to another task.

“Hey, A2?” He asked after he finished double checking their work. “Why exactly _were_ you fighting that giant worm in the desert anyway?”

She hesitated at his question for a moment. “I was trying to protect something important to someone I know.”

“Huh?”

A2 sighed loudly. “I'll show you.” She got up and immediately headed out of camp, leaving 9S and 2B in the dust to quickly pick themselves up and follow.

“Wait a minute A2. 2B's still healing! We can wait till tomorrow or something!”

“The worm is dead, it's not that far, and we won't be doing any more fighting.” She shrugged.

“Yeah but what if there's something new!”

“It'll be ok Nines.” 2B smiled. “If the pods pick up anything we can just turn back. Plus I'm pretty much all better as it is.”

“Twoo Beeee. Not you too.” He huffed. 2B laughed softly and tussled his hair as he puffed his cheeks out in annoyance.

“Plus, aren't you curious about what this important thing is?” She smirked. 9S huffed in response, she had him wrapped around her finger with that.

“Fine. But if the pods pick up even the slightest abnormality, we're going straight back. I'll carry you myself if I have to.”

“Deal.” She smiled.

9S pulled her close as they followed A2 into the unknown.

* * *

The walk to their destination was uneventful. They didn't speak much and 9S kept a protective arm around 2B the entire way there. He groaned in annoyance when the hot desert sand began blowing in his face. If there was one thing he missed about his YoRHa visor, it was that it did a pretty good job at keeping the sand out of his eyes.

The arid region was barren and the only sounds to be heard were the gentle breeze and their muffled footsteps in the sand. As they reached the top of a particularly average dune, 9S tilted his head in confusion as a strange sight came into view.

“What the hell is that?” He asked, pointing at the collection of large, gray orbs of varying sizes half buried in the sand.

“That's what I've been trying to protect.” A2 responded as she continued down the slope. It wasn't long before a familiar face became recognizable on each of the spheres as the group drew closer.

“Emil?” 2B asked.

“Yeah, these are some of his copies.”

“What happened to the real one... er... the one that was driving around selling stuff near camp?”

A2 stopped on a dime and sighed softly before turning to them.

“He's dead.” Her eyes dimmed as she gave them the news. She quickly turned back away and shook her head slightly before continuing.

“Some of his copies went berserk and he tried fighting them off on his own, but there were just too many. I was barely able to defeat them myself when I got there.

“He was... still alive when I got to him, but just barely. He seemed so tired; I don't know how long he's been fighting in this war but he kept going up until the very end, and then kinda just... gave up after I defeated the copies.

“He remembered someone from his past, I think, and wanted to be with them again.” She paused and shifted in the sand a bit. “Sometimes I... well... no, never mind.”

“A2.” 2B said softly. She turned toward her in response and her eyes softened just slightly as she met her gaze.

“He asked about you 2B... when I first met him... after nearly running my ass over near camp. He seemed to have thought highly of you and was wondering why he hadn't seen you in a while... I couldn't bring myself to tell him... I guess now it was probably for the better.”

“Oh.” She responded. “Thank you. For that.”

“Don't mention it... I guess.” She shrugged.

“Say, A2,” 9S began, “how much do you even know about Emil anyway?”

“Er... well... you should probably start since you knew him first.”

9S shrugged in response and began.

They spent the next umpteen minutes bringing each other up to speed on everything they learned about Emil. 2B and 9S talked about their first meeting in the abandoned shopping center, about his traveling shop and all sorts of useful materials, about his strange home deep down in an expansive cave system. 2B recalled, almost fondly, the times they ran into a lunar tear and called him over to see; 9S' head still spun over how fast Emil arrived when they contacted him, but 2B seemed happy that she was able to help him regain his memories.

A2 perked up when they began talking about the cave full of lunar tears. It seems Emil had shown her that place too after running into her and talking to her so many times in the ruins; she recalled how she almost felt a pang of... nostalgia when she first walked into that room. 2B mentioned she felt something similar her first time down there; a feeling of 'I've been here before' had washed over her the moment she saw the shack and all the flowers, but quickly faded away when Emil started talking about his battle with the aliens. 9S seemed quite interested in those nostalgic feelings the two had, but by the time he had a chance to ask, they had already moved on to a different subject.

A2 started going on about how annoyed she was by his constant babbling, but admitted how his cheery, talkative attitude slowly grew on her until she almost looked forward to running into him again. She was still a little weirded out by how often they seemed to meet, but quickly shrugged it off; the things they talked about were always just harmless, light conversations about their day, or about birds, or flowers, or whatever.

Her voice quieted and eyes dimmed as she began detailing the battle with Emil's clones and his eventual death. She was regretful that she wasn't able to help him... but at the same time, she seemed glad that he had finally found peace. 2B and 9S both agreed it was likely the best thing she could do, although 9S couldn't help but feel a little frustration towards the fact that she still did kill the clones.

“So yeah... all that happened just a few days before... Pascal...” She sighed.

“Heh... so Emil was probably already gone by the time I put your memorial up in the cave.” He mumbled, squeezing 2B's hand. “Kinda wish I gave him one too...”

“Well... We can always give him one now.”

“Heh... I like that idea. We should do that.” The three then stood in silence for a while; each one of them took their time to soak in all the information that was shared.

“Well anyway,” 9S piped up, “If Emil is... dead, then why was the worm even attacking this place anyway?”

“No idea. I came by a few weeks ago and saw it thrashing around and flinging everything everywhere. I don't really know why I even felt the need to protect it... I just... felt something pulling me back again and again.”

“Huh.” 9S looked around the area, trying to scan for clues until something caught his eyes.

“So, is this where you tried to bury him?” He asked, pointing to the top of the small sphere poking out of the sand.

“No,” A2 replied, tilting her head when she laid her eyes on it. “I buried him near Pascal's village... next to the children; I thought about buying him in the lunar tear field, but I didn't want to disturb the flowers and felt that... he'd be more happy if he was buried around other people he might have been friends with... This must just be another copy.” She knelt down and scooped some sand away before tugging it free.

2B and 9S came up behind her and the three of them peered at the dusty orb. She tilted it to its side and jumped back slightly when she heard a small clink coming from inside his head. It was followed immediately by a faint hum that began to grow louder until it evened out at roughly the same volume as a Black Box.

Soon he began to emit more sounds; clicking, rattling, whirring, buzzing. The three stood stiff as they watched and waited for something to happen. As the noises became more uncomfortable, 9S subconsciously put his hand on 2B and began sliding himself between them. Her hand found its way to his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

A2 nervously held him at a distance as the variety of noises continued to increase for several minutes. More... organic... sounds joined the mix; bubbling, hissing, gurgling. After a particularly loud wheeze, A2 finally seemed to have had enough and sighed loudly.

“Hey, stop making creepy noises and wake up already.” A2 snapped as she rapped her knuckles against his forehead. Immediately, all sound stopped and the trio gasped in shock. 9S glared at her and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a single, soft groan coming from the Emil head.

“Huh? Hey, Where am I?” His teeth chattered and the sound of grinding sand could be faintly heard every time his jaw moved.

The three androids stood there in shock as the talking sphere came to life in her hands.

“Hey there guys! What's up!?”

“Emil... you're...” A2 nearly whispered.

“Wait, how did you know my name? Have we met before?”

“Er...Sort of.” She mumbled. “We... uh... it was one of your clones.”

“Ah, ok! There sure are a lot of mes around, I'm sure everyone has met at least one of them by now.”

“...Yeah... I guess.” A2 shifted uncomfortably in place.

“Anyway what are we even doing here in the middle of the desert? I think I've got sand in my mouth.” His jaws opened as wide as they could as he coughed a handful of grains out.

“Er, well... it's a long story.” A2 replied.

“Ooh I love stories!” He chirped back.

“Uh... ok, who should begin?” 9S said as he glanced at the other two. “Well, I guess for starters; Emil, how long have you been buried there anyway?”

“I was buried in the sand? I was... I...” He suddenly went quiet and 9S started to believe that maybe now wasn't the best time to bring that up.

“I don't... I don't remember. I... wait... my copies, my friends, where are they?” He turned himself around in A2's hands and froze as he saw the handful of Emils that littered the landscape.

“No... No. No. It can't... No! No! No! NO! NO! NONONONONO!!” He screamed and thrashed around in A2's hands. “STOP! PLEASE! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! EVERYONE'S FIGHTING SO HARD YOU CAN'T JUST--” His violent thrashing caused A2 to lose her grip and drop him face down in the sand. She gasped and jumped back instinctively as he screamed in... pain? Or fear? Or some other dark emotion the trio didn't quite understand. In a flash, he began rolling frantically towards the nearest copy, still screaming, before anyone could react any further.

“Emil! What's happening?” All three shouted at once.

“Huh?!” He froze in place as the chorus seemed to snap him out of his nightmare. “How long?” He cried. “How long was I buried here?”

“Emil, we don't know,” 9S said gently, “we just asked... we... don't know. I'm sorry.”

“Emil...” 2B approached him cautiously and knelt down, inviting him into her outstretched hands.

“N-no!” Emil shook his head and continued onward. “I gotta find survivors! Help me!”

The three flinched and grit their teeth in unison

“Emil wait...” 2B said as they ran to catch up with him.

“Please!”

“There are no survivors.” A2 said, voice slightly elevated.

“How do _you_ know?” He snapped.

“Because I killed them.”

Emil stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “Why!? They didn't do anything wrong! They weren't trying to hurt anyone!”

“Emil...”

“They just needed someone to talk to and I was trying and I don't know what happened but you didn't need to kill them I could have done something--”

“Emil.”

“I was trying to save them I could handle it I was doing so well no no no no no it was gonna be ok it was--”

“Emil!” A2 snapped. He shut his mouth immediately and glared at her, trembling with rage or fear or sadness, they weren't quite sure.

“This was what the other Emil we met wanted. He came here to fight them himself, but was no match for the remaining clones. His last wish, his last task was to end their suffering. I killed them all myself when he could no longer fight. I'm...” She looked down and dug her toe into the sand. “I'm sorry, but there was nothing else anyone could do.”

“Oh.” His voice was thick with the sound of defeat. “There had to have been something... there has to be someone still alive!”

“How many were there?”

“Nineteen.”

“I fought nine, they were completely destroyed. We can count--”

Before she could even finish, Emil had hopped on top of the other clone and carefully scanned the area.

“One... two... three...” His voice was faint and became more hopeless the higher he got.

“...Ten... Oh...”

“Emil, I'm sorry.” 2B said.

“No... I'm sorry for shouting at you all.” He rolled back down to the androids and A2 caught him in her arms as he fell.

“I just...” He sniffed. “I tried so hard. They were all in so much pain. I just wanted to make them all happy again, but I failed everyone.”

“Emil...”

“You did your best.” Said 9S. “That's all we can do in times like these.”

“But the war is over now,” added 2B, “maybe you'll have the chance to help some more clones in the future, now that that there's not much more fighting to be done.”

“...Yeah...” Emil mumbled in a defeated tone. “I guess you're right.” He seemed to perk up a bit at that. “Yeah, I'll do that. Once I've caught up on everything I've missed in the past... I don't know... I'll travel the world and save all the other mes that need my help!

“I just wish...” his voice dimmed again, “...that I was able to do _something_ for at least one of the mes here... They kept losing comrades... _I_ kept losing comrades. And they fought day after day, against the machines, but they never stopped coming. And one day... they just... had enough... and went berserk and began attacking everything.

“I tried to get them to stop! I tried so hard! But I was created solely to transport items to the big mes that I didn't have much stamina to keep holding on. They were so strong and wouldn't listen and just keep blasting me around. And then... everything went dark and I woke up here... I don't know how long it's been or what has happened since then...

“What year was it when fought... er... tried to calm your copies down.” 9S asked.

“I think... it was 11834...”

“What?” He gasped. “That's over a hundred years ago... And you don't remember _anything_ after you blacked out? No sounds, no feelings?”

“No.” Emil said, dejected. _Although that's probably a good thing considering how long he was buried._ 9S thought.

“Uh... do you remember anything about your past? Like your far past? Back before the aliens invaded?”

Emil sat in silence for a moment. “No.” He sighed. “I don't really even remember the aliens invading either. I think I was cloned long after that... Or maybe I just forgot... I don't know really.”

“Oh.” 9S responded quietly. He turned to 2B and an idea sparked in his mind. “Well uh... we can maybe help you get back _some_ memories of the past. There was a special place the other Emil we knew showed us that helped him regain some of his. Maybe if we took you there, then you might get something from it too.”

“Really?” Emil perked back up almost instantly. “Please! Show me! I-I feel such an emptiness inside me knowing how much of my past I've lost... I have to see this!” His tone was desperate and 9S could recall the deep feelings of emptiness he felt when he realized how many of his own memories he had lost.

He smiled and placed his hand on Emil's head to comfort him. “All right, let's go then.” He turned to 2B, who was also smiling faintly. “You ready to head out now?”

She nodded. “There's nothing else we can gain from here, let's go.”

The trio began their long trek to the cave. A2 held Emil protectively in her arms the entire way, as the three began sharing all that they had learned about the other Emil. He listened intently and constantly asked them questions. Although the androids were only able to answer a small fraction of them, Emil didn't seem to mind too much; he looked happy enough just having someone to converse with after so long.

Soon enough, they crossed the bridge and entered the shopping mall; Emil started buzzing with excitement the closer they got. 9S brought up his t-shirt promise to 2B and jokingly suggested buying one for Emil too. He excitedly accepted his offer and 9S felt genuinely bad that he didn't get the joke, but quickly decided that if that day came, he'd figure out some way to fit him in a shirt too.

They entered the ancient elevator and descended. A2 gripped Emil's still vibrating frame tightly in her arms and waited for the rusty doors to creak open. The soft light of the lunar tear field poured over the four as they stepped into the small cavern. They stood at the edge of the flowers together for several minutes, simply soaking in the dazzling sight.

2B was the first to break the silence. “This is the place you... the other you... showed us after we helped him regain some of his memories. He said this place was very special to someone important to him. Maybe it can help you remember too.”

Emil stared silently at the blossoms with his unmoving eyes. 9S began to wonder if he didn't even hear what 2B said in the first place. Still, she didn't seem to want to repeat herself as all three of the androids seemed to fear what breaking the silence again would cause.

The trio exchanged glances as minutes passed, as they silently tried to ask the others what to do. Before any of them could formulate an equally silent answer, a small whine escaped from Emil.

“...Kainé... I'm... starting to remember more.” A2 gasped softly as Emil hopped out of her arms and rolled over to the small shack of some sort on the side of the room.

“This was... her home. She was living here when I met her all those years ago. I lived here too for a while, with her. I... wanted to protect it after she...” He went quiet again as he hopped up on the bed.

“There was someone else too, I think.” Emil mumbled as he studied all the items in the shack. “But I can't remember... just yet...” He turned back to the trio still standing awkwardly at the entrance. “Thank you, for bringing me here.”

“Don't mention it.” A2 said while 2B and 9S nodded silently.

“Hmm... I...” Emil went silent once again. “How long... have I been alive... This was thousands of years ago... Before the aliens came... This was...” Emil started shaking again as his voice slowly became panicked.

“I-I've been alone for so much of that time... I-I didn't even have time to spend with the other mes while we were fighting... I...” His voice became shakier and less coherent and he sounded almost on the verge of crying.

“I've lost so many friends over and over, and I can't even remember most of them... It hurts...” He groaned and turned to the trio. “You have no idea how much it hurts.”

A2 flinched and clenched her fists at those words, letting out a soft hiss. 2B and 9S simply flinched back in shock at his sudden change in attitude.

“Like hell we don't.” A2 snapped. “My entire purpose, the only reason I was built, was to survive long enough to get blown up under a mountain along with everyone I cared about. Hell, most of my team didn't even make it to the ground before getting shot down by machines!” Her voice grew steadily louder as she went on.

“All we saw for weeks were more and more machines, we couldn't rest for a minute. And when we finally found other androids and actually made new friends, guess what? They all died too! And... And...” A2 shook her head and stepped back when she realized what she just said. “Anyway... I don't really need to tell you all my life story. Just... you're not the only one who's suffered.”

“A2...” Emil responded. “I'm sorry... I didn't mean to say that... I...”

“Nines.” 2B tugged on his arm gently. “I think we should go.”

“Right.” He nodded. “Hey Emil, A2? We're going to head back to camp for a while and see if we can get Emil a temporary body or something. We'll come back later.”

“It's fine Emil.” A2 responded, as if 9S didn't even open his mouth. “I'm sorry I snapped at you like that... I just...” 2B and 9S took that as permission to make their leave, and quickly retreated to the elevator.

“I didn't mean to make this a tragedy contest or whatever.”

“No no, it's ok.” Emil bounced on the bed a few times. “I wanna hear your story... if you're ok with telling it. I mean, I know we just met, sort of, but I'm a really good listener! All my friends tell me that... I think.” He paused and hummed for a moment. “Did they? ...Well... even if they didn't I'm still here to listen!”

“Heh... you're a good person, Emil.” She walked over and sat down next to him. “I'm not really the type to spill my guts out to nearly complete strangers, but eh what the hell.”

She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, thinking about where to start. At the very beginning? When she was sent down to Earth?

“Well... there were originally sixteen of us. All prototypes for YoRHa. We trained every day since the day we were created for that one task. We were supposed to be sent down to Earth to wipe out a machine server in the Pacific region... And... Aw hell, storytelling is not one of my strengths. Uh...”

“Tell me about your friends.” Emil asked after A2 struggled a bit with her next words.

“Oh uh. Well I guess I could consider most of them my friends in a way, since we were together always and the only people we ever knew, besides the Commander,” her tone hardened and was laced with venom as she spoke her name, but softened immediately after, “and Seed, and a few other androids we never really got to know.

“The ones I was closest to were the ones that, by some freak miracle... or curse... survived the Pearl Harbor Descent with me: Number 21, Number 16, and... Number 4.” She pulled her legs up on the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees.

“They were... such kind people. 21 grew close to pretty much everyone... she liked to mother us all and made sure we were all taking care of ourselves. She tried to stay cool and collected as much as she could, but she wasn't always that great at it. It was kind of funny watching her flip from calm and analytical, to overly emotional in a split second... but at the same time, sad, because... she could fall into despair pretty easily.

“16 was a bit short-tempered and hot-headed, but she was really a kind and loyal person once you got to know her. She got in little fights with everyone, but was usually quick to apologize or make up. I'd have to chase after her a lot and drag her back after she got mad.

“And 4 was... she was the cheeriest, gentlest person I've ever met. She always knew what to say to get us to cheer up and push forward and...” A2 paused and wiped a tear that was threatening to fall. “...She didn't deserve any of this... none of us did. She was too kind... and... there were so many things I wish I said to her... but never got the courage to.” She buried her face back in her knees and groaned.

“A2... I... I'm sorry...” Emil said. “I remember... I had someone special to me too... I remember... Kainé, but... there was...” He paused and rolled his face into the mattress and vibrated for a good minute before rolling back up to face her. A2 quickly tried to hide the look of confusion on her face as she waited for him to continue.

“There's so much I wish I could have told him... but I don't remember what any of it was... all I remember is that it was a long, long time ago... Er... well... How long ago did this happen to you?”

“It's getting close to six years now... but sometimes it still feels like it happened just a week ago.”

“Oh...”

“And I...” A2 could feel something building in her chest. Something desperately trying to claw its way into the light after being held down for so long. She shook her head and tried to continue. “I...” The feelings kept bubbling up until they burst forth all at once.

“I miss them all so much!” She wailed as the floodgates were open and tears now flowed freely from her eyes. “I've been so alone. This entire time... I had no one. No one to love, no one to hold, no one to care for me, no one to care for. E-everyone was dead... a-and it took all I could just to... just to survive the machines... and then...” She paused her speech to let out another bout of wailing.

“YoRHa ordered... ordered a new model to hunt me down... she had my face... they gave her my face and sent her to kill me... I b-barely escaped with my l-life...” She wiped more tears from her eyes.

“Th-they s-sent her again, and again... and an-nother one... T-hey sent them to k-kill me. B-because I knew too much and th-they wanted to cover up their sins.

“I was s-s-supposed to die alongside my f-friends. I d-don't know how I su-surv-vived. B-but I did a-and they wanted m-me... d-dead for it. I h-had... I had nobody...

“I h-haven't even t-told them ab-b-bout it. I...”

“Wait, told who?” Emil asked quietly.

“2-2B and 9S...” She groaned. “T-they w-w... they were the ones that t-tried to k-kill me.”

“Wait what?” He jumped back in shock. “But you all seemed like such good friends.”

“Hhah... Hahha...” A2 let out a mournful, breathy laugh. “I-I don't know w-where to begin with th-those two. Th-they don't rem-member. Because I killed them ev-every time. Command never t-told them about m-me afterwards. Th-they probably knew 9S w-would dig into it more and f-find out the truth again...” She sighed and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. “And then 2B w-would have to kill him too...

“There's... a lot that happened between us. Especially between me and 9S. I... I really don't know how I'm supposed to feel about anything anymore... or where to start... or...”

“Well... maybe just start over... from the very beginning?” Emil quietly suggested. A2 stared at him for a moment, before slowly nodding. She'll tell him everything. From the very beginning. From the day she was “born.” All the way to the moment she pulled him from the sand not one hour ago.

“All right...” She breathed. “I'll do it.”

* * *

Hours passed as A2 spilled her heart out. She spared no details about her training, about the descent, about her friends, about Number 4. She cried about Command's betrayal, about her isolation, about 2B and 9S, about her meeting with the other Emil. Everything. She shook and trembled and stuttered as she quickly spat out her darkest traumas. She slowed and let the words flow like honey from her lips as she recounted the rare moments of peace and quiet she shared with the ones she cared about.

Emil listened intently; his gaze never wavered from her face. It was a little unnerving at first, feeling him stare at her with his unblinking eyes, but she quickly stopped caring; her barriers slowly disintegrated as she let go more and more to tell him of her past. He hardly said anything; only speaking up to ask a question or two when she stumbled and paused.

She became numb to the outside world. She didn't hear the faint drip of water from a crack in the ceiling. She didn't feel the cool draft that flowed through the gaps in the door. She didn't even hear the elevator creak back down as 2B and 9S returned with the temporary body they created. Nor did she hear them carefully place it near the entrance and hurriedly rush back up the shaft the moment they heard her sobs.

Slowly, her cries quieted as her tale of despair came to a close. She continued sitting there, curled up in herself as she trembled and blinked the tears away. Emil had stayed by her side the entire time, not once acting bored or annoyed.

“Haha...” She laughed weakly. “I just told my whole life story to a complete stranger basically.”

“I don't think we're strangers.” Emil replied. A2 pulled her head back and gave him a confused look.

“Huh?”

“Er... I mean...” Emil paused and rolled around on the bed, humming quietly. “You remind me of Kainé... I think it was her... She... she lived a hard life and had a strong personality and was a little rough around the edges. But deep down, she was a really kind and gentle person.” His voice trailed away as he searched deep inside himself for more memories.

“Who knows,” he chuckled, “maybe you were her in a past life!”

_That's ridiculous. Past lives don't exist. And even if they did... they wouldn't apply to us androids anyway. We're not really alive..._

“Who knows,” she sighed, “maybe you're right.” There was no point in arguing, and deep down, part of her wished there was some truth to his statement.

Something pulled at her, as if trying to get her to remember something she never experienced in the first place. _Maybe... No, that's impossible..._ A2 began to look around the room and carefully study her surroundings. That small tug continued pulling, but got neither stronger nor weaker.

“Emil...” She mumbled, while staring at a messy drawing of, what she thought was two people standing together. “When we were created, we were given a handful of false memories from humans in the past. They're all very vague and fragmented though.

“Mine were from a little girl who lived with her grandma. They lived in a small house away from other people, and I think they might have... farmed? None of them are really clear, and they get hazier the further forward or back in time I think. But I do know that she loved her grandma very much.”

“...That sounds almost familiar...” Emil mumbled. “I... She... talked to me about her grandma a lot. I think she died long before we met though.” He jumped up and slid closer to her. “What else do you know? Did you ever try to remember anything else?”

A2 shrugged. “To be honest, I really didn't care to learn more about it for myself. In the past, I found those memories to be precious to me, when I had so little of my own. But now that I've been alive for a good while, they started to become less and less important... since they weren't really _my_ memories.”

“Oh...” His defeated tone caused A2 to flinch as she reconsidered her choice of words.

“I mean... I guess I could try to see if there are any more I haven't accessed yet or whatever. Or if any of this jun-- er... stuff here like... awakens anything. I don't know. I guess it really is a shot in the dark.”

_What are you expecting? That they gave you more memories and just encrypted them so you couldn't see them? Plus, you've been all over this place and nothing up until just now has even hinted at anything here being important to you... er... her?_

“But I can try, you listened to me whine about my life for... I don't even know how long. It's the least I can do. Plus, I got nothing better to do anyway.”

“Don't say that!” Emil gasped. “I liked listening! ...Er... I mean... I didn't like how most of it was really sad, but I liked that I was helping... well... I think I was helping.”

“Heh... you were.” A2 smiled. “You're a good person, Emil.”

“I just do what I think is right!” He chirped. “It's what my friends would have wanted... I think.”

“Hm...” A2's scrunched her brow as she remembered something 2B and 9S had told her earlier. “I know another thing that might help.”

“Really?” Emil hopped up and down a few times before going still and watching her intently.

“Yeah, 2B and 9S told me that, when they were helping your other copy with his memories, they called him over wherever they ran into a lunar tear. Maybe if you looked at them yourself, they'd help you too.”

“Yeah! Yeah! Let's go!” Emil jumped off the bed and rolled towards the door excitedly.

“Whoa, wait a second,” A2 stuttered at the enthusiastic sphere. “I don't know where they are so we're going to have to ask 2B and 9S where they found them. Plus...” She turned back to eye the small shack, “I want to stay here for a bit... see if I can remember anything.”

“Oh, ok. Sorry, I got ahead of myself there.” He laughed nervously and quickly rolled back up on the bed. “Take your time! Really, it's fine!”

A2 flashed a small smile at his eagerness and began studying everything in the shack. Her eyes slowly drifted from knickknack to knickknack and she began unconsciously picking at her lip as she concentrated.

A few of them jogged some of the memories she already had as little fragments of memorable experiences resurfaced. However, nothing _new_ appeared in her mind. Still, Emil was happy she was still open to sharing with him. He pondered them as she continued looking through the shack, working hard to piece together what little he was given.

When she felt that she couldn't pull anything else from the items, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, filing through all the memories she had thought were long forgotten. Memories that, over time, she had began caring less and less for started to gain new meaning to her.

“I think that's all I can get from these for now.” A2 sighed.

Emil let out a disappointed whine. “Aw ok.” He said. “Maybe if we come back tomorrow you'll be able to find more!”

“Maybe.” She said as she stretched her joints after being still for so long. Exhaustion began setting in as the day's... activities caught up with her.

“I still can't believe... You have some of Kainé's memories...” Emil said, his voice full of wonder.

“Well we still don't know for sure it's really--”

“Well who else could it be?” He squeaked. “Well... what if we go looked for the lunar tears? Maybe I can help you remember more stuff that way!”

“Emil... thank you, but... can we do this another time? So much has happened today and I need some time to sit down and... process everything.” She paused as a yawn forced its way out of her. “I can take you back to camp first and you can get to know everyone there.”

“Yeah, yeah that's fine! I don't want to push you for so many favors so soon anyway! You've done so much for me today already! So I'm ready to go when you are!”

A2 flashed a small smile. “All right, let's head out. We can figure out a meeting time and spot on the way back.”

Emil nodded and headed for the elevator as A2 stood and stretched a bit more before following.

She turned and headed toward the doors once again, but jumped back in shock and drew her sword the moment the metallic glint of the lifeless machine body caught her eye.

“What the hell?” She hissed, but relaxed when she noticed the lack of a head. “Where did that come from?”

“That's the replacement body 2B and 9S brought me! Wait... you mean you didn't see them come down?”

“Er... I guess I was... no, I didn't notice.” _Geez, how wrapped up in my own story was I if I didn't even notice that loud-ass elevator? Plus, oh god how much did they hear?_ She was hit with a wave of embarrassment but quickly pushed it back down. Now was not the time.

“Well, I guess let's see if this thing even works.” She mumbled and picked Emil up to place him inside, but paused as a small piece of paper taped to the chest caught her attention.

“A note?” She she said as carefully balanced Emil against her hip to pick it up with her free hand.

Her eyes flicked across the chicken scratch for a moment. “What the hell? I literally can't read this!” She hissed. “Seriously, has this guy ever picked up a pencil in his life?”

“Lemme try!” Emil offered. A2 shrugged and lowered the paper to where he could see.

“Oh, this is easy!” He chirped. “It says: _Yeah, so I have no idea if this will even work, but the other Emil was able to control that car thing without being connected by anything so who knows. Anyway, just leave it if it doesn't work; we're fixing up the car next so he can have that when we're done.”_

“How the hell-- eh whatever, nothing really makes sense anymore so I should probably stop acting so surprised.” A2 shrugged and shoved the note into her pocked as Emil jumped out of her hand and into the socket.

He twisted around in place as he hummed while figuring out how to get the body to work. Before long, an arm suddenly creaked to life and began waving around. Emil gasped excitedly and quickly, the rest of the body began to move.

“I think I'm getting the hang of this!” He said as he took a shaky step forward, then another, and another. A2 watched in amazement as he quickly took control of the vessel. Within just a few minutes, he was racing around the room like he had been using that body for ages.

“All right, I think I got this, let's go!” Emil turned and pulled A2 towards the elevator before she even had a chance to react. She just shook her head and accepted it as the doors closed and they slowly ascended to the surface.

* * *

The two arrived back at camp just when everyone was beginning to wind down for the “night”. True night and day cycles no longer existed; the sun was still high in the sky and blazed down on them in eternal daylight. However, since the war ended, many android groups used the ensuing uneasy peace to begin simulating human rituals of old; one of them being sleeping when the sky goes dark and waking when the light returns.

A2 shuddered faintly when a group of androids pulled a large tarp over the clearing. An eerie dusk light filtered through the thick fabric and thin beams of sunlight shone through the handful of small tears that dotted the cloth. The androids jumped down and yawned when they finished securing the tarp, then continued on with their final tasks of the evening.

It seemed 2B and 9S had already gone off to sleep; the little “do not disturb” sign on their door made that clear enough. Emil's damaged car sat silently nearby and a large box of tools and scrap metal lay before it.

“Oh, A2, you're back!” A familar voice rang out from the shadows. A2 turned in the direction of the sound and Anemone emerged from the the rear of camp, wiping some grease off her hands with a dirty towel.

“2B and 9S told me about what happened.” She continued before A2 could respond. “Is this Emil?” She flashed a small smile at the strange creature standing before her.

“Yep, that's me!” Emil chirped in his normally cheery tone. “Nice to meet you!”

“Likewise.” She responded. “My name's Anemone. I'm the leader of this camp and know all there is to know about the area. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have once I'm free.”

“Thank you! I like asking questions, and making new friends!”

Anemone smiled and nodded. “Anyway. We're getting ready to shutdown for the night, as you can see, so I'm a bit busy right now, but feel free to make yourself at home and rest for a while. We'd love to hear more about your story in the morning when you've had a chance to recharge. Goodnight.” And with that, she walked off to tend to her nightly tasks.

“Oh right,” Anemone stopped and turned back to them. “We do have some free cots open right now for you; just head back through that gate and take a right at the end of the hallway. Pick whichever one looks available.” She turned back and headed to her post as Emil and A2 thanked her for her generosity.

“Thank you and goodnight Anemone!” Emil yelled and waved before turning to A2. “She seems nice!”

A2 nodded. “Yeah, she is. Shes grown a lot and become a great leader since I last worked with her.”

“It looks like it! Say, where did 2B and 9S go?” He asked.

“They're probably sleeping. 2B got knocked up pretty good by the giant worm earlier today so she needs some time to recover.”

“Oh no, that's horrible!” He gasped. “I'm glad she'll be ok though. She did seem a little stiff when she was walking with us, now that I think about it.”

“She'll be fine, it was a long and hard battle, but she recovered quickly and finished it off.”

Behind them, Anemone stopped on a dime and flashed them an exasperated look. She quickly exchanged glances with another Resistance member, then shook her head and sighed before continuing on.

“All right, well,” A2 continued, “You remember where Anemone told you the cots were. I guess I'll see you sometime tomorrow to help you find those flowers. So... g'night.” She turned and headed towards the entrance.

“Wait, where you you going?” He asked.

“Too many people here, I'm heading over to my tree.”

“Wait... you live in a tree?”

“Er... well... I wouldn't say 'live' but yeah, what of it?”

“Well, trees are not comfortable at all! I would know, I've gotten stuck in them many times and had to wait days for someone to come rescue me. I couldn't imagine purposefully sleeping in one.”

“It's not that bad.” A2 huffed. “Birds sometimes try to steal my hair and the bark can be itchy, but it's better than being surrounded by loud people I don't know.”

“But, can't you get an actual bed out there to sleep on? ...Oh!” Emil gasped and jumped up excitedly. “I know! You can sleep in Kainé's bed! It's nice and soft compared to a tree and always quiet! And it's so pretty down there and you have those memories and the flowers smell so good and it's always nice and dark so it'd be easier to sleep and...”

A2 couldn't hold back a small smile as Emil babbled on about the perks of the cave. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea after all; the tree may keep her a nice distance away from annoying people, but it was still far from quiet with all the birds, forest creatures, and the occasional machine chattering away at all hours of the day.

“Ok Emil, I guess I can give it a shot.” She said. Emil clapped his appendages excitedly before quickly grabbing A2's hand and pulling her towards the entrance. She squeaked and stumbled from the height difference, as he began leading her back to the cave.

“W-wait, Emil!” She gasped. “I know where it is; I brought you back here so you can stay here with other people and make friends or something.”

“But you're already my friend A2!” Emil exclaimed. “I wanna stay with you and have a sleepover or something! We can share more stories and tell jokes and stuff until we fall asleep, and in the morning I can make breakfast!”

A2 wasn't exactly sure where he was even going to get food, or where he got all that boundless energy that was flowing out of him. But she smiled and nodded; a good, hot meal after only eating the occasional berry or acorn for the past 5 years was fairly appealing.

“That sounds... nice, actually.” She smiled. “Let's go.”

Emil gasped and jumped up and down in excitement at her acceptance. Without another word he continued on, and they headed back home, together.


	15. Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emil meets some familiar faces from his distant past.

A2 groaned in groggy annoyance as something strange had interrupted her sleep cycle long before she would have preferred it ended. A weight on her chest caught her attention and she laboriously forced her eyes open a crack to see what it was.

Her eyes shot open the moment she caught a glimpse of the skeletal grin staring straight at her, mere inches from her face.

“Good morning A2!” The talking sphere on her chest exclaimed cheerily.

“Shit what the fuck?!” She screamed, flailing wildly as the mysterious presence and the dark, unfamiliar room kicked her mind off into high alert. The strange orb was sent flying across the cave as she twisted too far and tumbled off the bed onto the cold ground below. In a flash, she was back on her feet, legs spread in a fighting stance, fingers wrapped around the nearest weapon-like object she could get her hands on. She jerked her head toward her enemy, ready for... _wait._

“Emil?” Her hands immediately fell to her sides as the events of the previous day filed back into her consciousness.

“Owowowowow! That hurt!” He cried as he came to a standstill near the elevator doors.

“Oh god, it's just you.” She sighed. “Don't scare me like that.” The attacker stamped her foot on the ground in frustration.

“S-sorry! I just saw you move and thought you were waking up and was excited to get the day started. I didn't mean to scare you like that.”

“Eh... don't worry about it.” A2 said flatly as she finally regained her composure. She brought the empty machine body he had left beside her back to him and he hopped inside.

“Ready?” Emil chirped after he had settled in.

“You really are eager, aren't you?” A2 huffed, a small smile threatened to show on her face.

“Yeah! ...Wait, are you not ready yet?” He tilted his head 90 degrees in questioning. A2 felt a little unnerved by his... flexibility, but did her best to keep a straight face.  
“I mean,” she shrugged, “there's not much else to do here right now, so might as well.” She grabbed her sword and filed into the elevator next to the vibrating Emil.

“Pod, call 2B.” A2 ordered the moment they stepped out into the daylight. After a few rings, 2B's confused... and dirty face popped up on the holo-screen. A2 bid her an awkward good-morning before turning the screen to Emil.

“Good morning 2B!” Smiled Emil.

“Good morning Emil.” She responded softly, wiping some of the dust from her brow. The sound of hammering and construction work behind her almost drowned out her voice. “Is there something you need?”

“Uh... yeah! A2 said something yesterday about you two showing the other Emil all the lunar tears you found around the area and was wondering if you could come with us to find them again?”

“Emil, we would love to, but we have a full day of work ahead of us. We can if you're willing to wait until we're finished, but if you don't want to, then I can send you the—”

“We can wait!” He blurted. “I just really want to do this together. I mean I really want my memories back right now, but I want to be with my friends too!”

2B paused, a soft smile could be barely seen under the static of the holo-screen.

“All right, if that's what you want, then we're all for it. We'll let you know when we're done.”

“Thank you! See you soon!” Emil chirped as the screen went dark. He danced around excitedly for a moment before turning back to A2.

“Well, are you ready to head over?”

“You can go, I'll probably just wander around and bash in some machines for a while or something...”

"Aww, please! I know you don't really like being around strangers and all but I can introduce you to everyone and then you won't be strangers anymore!"

“But... you don't know anyone there either.” A2 said, tilting her head and raising one eyebrow in confusion.

“No, but I can meet them all first then introduce you after!”

A2 shook her head softly and sighed as a small smile crept across her face.

“All right, but I'm heading back out if things start getting weird.”

“Weird, how?”

“Like... I dunno.” She gestured vaguely at the sky. “Just... weird.”

“O-Ok. Well... I'll make sure nothing gets too weird then! Ready to go?”

“Sure.” She shrugged.

“Allll right!” He grabbed her hand and started racing towards camp.

* * *

 "A2. Emil. Welcome back!" Anemone called out as they approached the entrance to the camp.

“Hey Anemone!” Emil yelled back and picked up pace to greet her while nearly dragging A2 along with him.

The three stood and talked for a while as Anemone brought Emil up to speed with the goings-on of camp. As much as she missed talking to her old friend, A2 was less than interested in what the other androids had been doing while she was out.

Her gaze slowly drifted around the clearing at the mess of construction going on around them. The building that housed 2B and 9S' room seemed nearly completely remodeled and she briefly wondered what it would be like to live in a complex surrounded by people that cared about her. She shook her head. As nice as it sounded in theory, she knew that it would be equally horrible in practice.

“Oh one more thing, A2.” The sound of her name snapped A2's attention back to Anemone. “Devola and Popola said they wanted you to head over to the med tent for a follow-up on your repairs. Just check in anytime today, it shouldn't take too long.”

“I'm good. Everything still feels fine.” A2 shrugged.

“It might all _feel_ fine, but they're the experts in this situation, so it would be wise to go anyway lest you risk your skin falling off in the middle of a battle.”

“Ehh... all right, all right.” A2 cringed slightly at the thought. “Might as well head over now and get it over with.” She nodded to Anemone and they parted ways.

The two red-haired androids came into view the moment A2 popped her head in. They were both sitting on one of the cots, tinkering with some android's leg; the owner of which was nowhere to be found.

Devola raised her head as A2 approached and gave a curt nod before placing the leg down and standing up to meet her.

“It's good to see you again, A2.” Popola smiled as she joined Devola.

“Yeah.” A2 responded. “Anemone told me you wanted to check on my skin or something.”

“I guess you could put it that way.” Devola said.

“Yeah, so anyway, let's get this over with... Oh, wait, I guess I should probably introduce Emil first.” A2 said, turning her head to look at him, only to see him standing stark still at the entrance a few feet behind her. He was completely silent and was quietly tapping his hands together repeatedly.

The twins both looked around A2 to get a better view of him, and he immediately took a nervous step back in response. A2 tilted her head in confusion

“Huh, something wrong Emil?” A2 asked.

“N-no, nothing's wrong!” He relaxed and stumbled forward, reaching his metallic hand out to them in a welcoming gesture. “It's nice to meet you!”

A look of sadness flashed across Popola's face almost too quickly for A2 to notice, and a similar flash of annoyance blew across her sister's face simultaneously.

“Likewise.” Popola smiled, reaching out to take his hand and shake it lightly. “I'm Popola, and this is my sister, Devola. We work to repair damaged androids for the Resistance. We've been here for a while, so feel free to come to us if you have any questions or need repairs yourself... although I'm sure a scanner like 9S or 4S might know a bit more about bodies like yours.”

 _4..._ A2 perked up as she heard that familiar number and opened her mouth to ask more, but decided against it before she could get a word out. _The only thing they share is that number._ She focused her attention back on the twins and that thought was pushed back down by the time Emil chirped out his response.

“I know 9S! He's the one that made me this body because I was just a head yesterday. He's really nice!”

“Ahh... so that's what he was doing.” Popola hummed. “He's a good kid.”

“He really is. Both him and 2B.” Devola added quietly. “Anyway... ready for your examination A2?” She grabbed her and shoved her down on the cot before she even had a chance to respond.

"Oi, I thought you were supposed to be making sure my skin won't fall off, not break me all over again." A2 snapped.

“You'll be fine,” Devola huffed, “you're YoRHa, after all. Just hold still and let's get this over with before you decide to try to rip our limbs off again.”

“Easy Devola.” Popola sighed while turning to A2. “All we're doing are some external scans. Shouldn't be more than a slight discomfort at worst. Now, hold your arms straight out in front of you, like this.”

A2 waited impatiently as the twins poked and prodded her with various tools for the next ten or so minutes. Emil stood quietly by the entrance the entire time; A2 began to grow mildly concerned at his sudden change in demeanor, until a sharp pain from one of Devola's tools tore her attention elsewhere.

“All right,” Devola said, shoving her tools back in her bag, “you're good to go. Check back in a week... or sooner if anything feels off.”

“...Thanks.” A2 responded, rubbing a sore spot on her knee absentmindedly. She stood up and stretched, giving herself a once-over. “See ya, I guess.”

“Goodbye.” Emil said, quietly, and together they left for the clearing.

“They look familiar...” Emil murmured as they stepped out into the sun, almost too low for A2 to hear.

“Hmm?” She mumbled, mildly confused. “Like how?”

“I dunno. I don't think I've seen them before but... the feeling they give me... I don't like it.” He shook his head a bit and looked up at her. “I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe I ran into someone that looks like them before and just... forgot.”

A2 simply shrugged. “Who knows.”

“Do you know them?”

“Not really. I've met them once before for a brief time.”

“Ooh. What did you talk about?”

"Ehh..." A2 shifted uncomfortably in place. "Well, they were... dying..."

“Dying? Why? What happened? And how are they here now? Were you the one that saved them?” Emil's barrage of questions forced A2 back a step as her processors struggled to keep up.

“I don't know, I don't know! Go ask 9S, he knows them better than I do!”

“Oh! 9S! Right! Let's go!” Emil took off running, leaving A2 in the dust.

“Hey, wait! You don't even know where he is.” She yelled, but Emil was already out of earshot. She took off after him, keeping close as he navigated through the maze of the camp. Not even a minute later she rounded a corner and nearly tumbled over him as he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

She held back a curse as she looked ahead to see 9S and 2B both absorbed in their work. Emil rubbed his claws together nervously for a moment before approaching the couple. A2 tilted her head in confusion at his sudden change in enthusiasm, but before she could open her mouth to question it, he had already regathered his determination and approached the scanner.

"Hey, 9S?" Emil asked quietly.

"Hm?" The scanner responded, looking up from the strange device he was tinkering with. "Oh hey, Emil, what's up?"

“You know Devola and Popola right?”

“Yeah, you met them?”

“Yeah. They seemed nice, I just... I wanted to ask you some questions about them.”

“Uh, sure.” 9S said, his voice wavering slightly. “Is there something wrong?”

“No no! Everything's fine.” He shifted his body side to side a few times. “It's just um... well...”

9S glanced at 2B as Emil was struggling to form words. She simply shrugged and set down the heavy box she was moving to join them.

“Well how long have you known them? How old are they? How'd you meet them? Are you good friends? What are—”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down, one question at a time!” 9S gasped. “Are you sure everything's ok?”

“Sorry! Yeah, it's fine, it's—”

“Emil got a bad vibe from them and thinks he might have met them before but forgot about them.” A2 interrupted.

“Hey! I was getting to that.” Emil whined.

“Oh,” said 9S, surprised, “well, it's entirely possible you did; there used to be many more Devola and Popola models in the past and they've been around a long time... they were some of the first android models created by humanity... but they don't remember their original purpose.” He paused for a moment and shifted his gaze to the ground.

“I met them after... after I lost 2B. They saved my life and were the only ones who could provide maintenance for me after the Bunker fell.”

“We both owe them our lives.” 2B added softly.

“I owe them a lot too, actually.” A2 said. “They were the ones that repaired the years of damage and wear on my body after I was alone all those years.”

“Oh...” Emil said, looking away slightly. A2 could detect a tinge of... discomfort in his voice. “So they really are nice people then?”

“Well... Devola can be a bit... harsh at times,” 9S admitted, “but she has a kind heart like her sister.”

“Then why do I...” He mumbled under his breath.

9S shrugged. “Well unless Devola chewed you out something fierce in the past, I'm sure it wasn't these two that gave you the uh... 'bad vibes'. Like I said, there were... other Devola and Popola models. One set well... eh, lemme start from the beginning of what I know about them.” He shifted around, getting comfortable as 2B sat down beside him to listen as well.

9S spent the next few minutes sharing what he knew about the twins to Emil. He told them about the set that went berserk, about the persecution the other models faced as a result of their actions, about deep guilt that they were all reprogrammed with afterward. Emil listened intently, interrupting 9S frequently to ask questions he could rarely answer.

He told them about how they joined Anemone's camp to work to 'atone' for what the other Devola and Popola did. He sang praises about how they saved his life after he fell from the bridge, and struggled to admit how many times they repaired him after he continued to recklessly injure himself in his hollow quest for revenge. 2B squeezed his shoulder in a small act of comfort as painful memories and many regrets resurfaced as he continued to share what went on during that dark time in his life.

“They sacrificed their lives to help me get into the tower... even though they hardly knew me. I still don't quite understand why they wanted to atone for sins they didn't commit, but without their help, neither of us would be here.” He placed his hand atop 2B's and squeezed it back.

“It was such extreme luck that their bodies weren't crushed under the rubble when the tower collapsed. I didn't really think about them as much as I should have when I was revived... but now... I don't know... I'm just so glad I had the chance to repay them.”

“Wow. So you all have gone through a lot together.” Emil observed.

“I guess you could say that.” 9S shrugged.

“So... I should probably go apologize for the way I acted, huh?”

“Don't worry too much Emil.” 9S placed his hand on Emil's head and smiled. “I'm sure it wasn't a big deal compared to the way the Resistance has treated them in the past.”

“Well, yeah but it doesn't mean it was ok!” He cried.

Both 9S and 2B let out a soft half-laugh in response. “They'll understand you didn't know any better. Do you want us to come with you?”

“No no, it's ok! I've already distracted you from your work for long enough. A2 and I will go, I'm sure she'd like to get to know them more too!”

A2, who had been gazing lazily at the sky since 9S had ended his story, was suddenly snapped back to attention after hearing her name.

“Wait, what?” She said, shifting her eyes quickly between the three. “I don't... I mean... I guess?” She shrugged uncomfortably.

“Oh come on A2.” 9S said with a shit-eating grin on his face. “You know you really do like making new friends. I'm sure Devola and Popola will love chatting with you.”

A look of disgust flashed across A2's face but she managed to hide it just before Emil looked up in her direction. “Let's head over now Emil and give them a have a proper introduction.” She sighed. “And get away from this little shit already.” She continued under her breath.

“All right!” He squeaked and took off running through the maze of buildings, leaving A2 in the dust... again. She flashed 9S an annoyed look, who simply smiled and waved, before taking off after Emil.

They arrived back at the med tent to see Devola and Popola cleaning up a mess of tools and waving goodbye to a shirtless android as he walked out.

“Leg's good as new.” He grinned, tugging at his plain brown pants before walking out of camp.

“Back so soon?” Devola snorted. “Don't tell me you already broke something?”

“No. She responded flatly. “The kid just wanted to talk to you two for a while so... here he is.”

“Oh?” Said Popola, sitting down on a cot. “What about?”

“Hey Popola, Devola.” Emil said quietly. “I'm sorry I acted so cold to you when we first met. I mistook you for someone else...es. I didn't mean to be rude.”

The twins exchanged quick glances before they both snorted out a quick laugh.

“It's perfectly fine, Emil.” Popola hummed.

“It was nicer than pretty much anyone else has ever greeted us.” Devola added. “So don't worry about it.”

Popola bent over to pat Emil on the head; he let out a sigh of relief and leaned into the contact.

“Er... can you... even feel that?” Devola asked, tilting her head to the side to study the mysterious orb.

“Well, sort of. My pain tolerance is pretty high, which is good... but that also means my touch tolerance is pretty high too. So that means you'd have to touch me pretty hard for me to feel anything haha.”

“Uh...” Said Devola before biting her lip and snorting back a laugh.

"Well, that sounds like both a blessing and a curse." Said Popola.

“I guess.” Emil shrugged. “It's been this way as long as I can remember so...”

“Er...” Devola shifted in her spot uncomfortably. “Is that all you wanted to talk to us about or was there more?”

“Oh um... well...” He stammered. The boy shifted back and forth nervously and let out a handful of strange sounds before continuing. “I know we really just met and all, but I heard there were more Devola and Popola models in the past and I lost most of my memories because the original me made thousands of copies of himself to fight the machines and that caused us to forget who we were and stuff but I think I might have met another Devola and Popola in the past and I thought that maybe if you told me about yourselves a bit I might remember something more from my past so what do you think?”

“Oh... well...” Popola said, head reeling as she turned to Devola for an answer.

“Sure, why not?” Her twin shrugged. “What do you want to know?”

“Well...”

Hours flew by as the twins shared their stories with Emil. A2 listened quietly as they talked; she was a lot more interested in the much-elder androids' long journey than she originally expected. She caught herself cringing in disgust as they shared some of the cruelties they faced over the millennia. Emil seemed just as horrified himself, gasping in shock nearly every other sentence they spoke.

It wasn't all tragedy and sorrow they spoke of, however; the two reminisced about the quiet, peaceful moments they shared together as well. Devola put her arm around her sister and rested her head upon her shoulder as her soft voice relaxed her.

A2 could feel... something... stirring within her as she thought about what a deep and lasting bond the two have had for each other. Thousands of years by each other's side... _and yet I can't even last a few months without losing what little I have._

She shook her head as she felt something wet run down her cheek.

“You ok A2?” Emil gasped as he turned to face her.

“Yeah,” she stuttered, “just got something in my eye.” _Oh goddamit._ She flashed a quick glance at the twins, who both gave her a small nod and continued talking, bringing Emil's attention back to them. She sighed a silent sigh of relief and quickly wiped the tears away before turning back to the story.

“I think I might be starting to remember a bit more now.” Emil mumbled. “Tell me more about the other Devola and Popola models! Like the ones that you said went berserk... I mean... if that's ok with you.”

“It's fine.” Popola smiled. “We don't know that much about them, unfortunately. Details about what exactly they did have been mostly lost over time.”

“We just know they fu—messed up bad.” Devola finished.

“We twin android models were created to oversee something... something relating to the revival of humanity. But whatever they did caused whatever project they were working on to fail, and because of that, the most promising chance of reviving humanity was lost. So now... all we have left is a bit of data on the human genome saved on the server on the moon.”

“Now that the war is over, some android colonies are starting to research ways they could use that data. It's a long shot, but who knows... maybe they'll be able to figure something out one day.”

“That would be—” Emil began.

“Oi, Dev, Pop.” An android yelled as she rushed into the med tent. “Break's over, we got an injured android coming in any minute.”

"Just one? What's the damage?" Devola asked as she jumped into action.

"Dunno. Serious, but not life-threatening is all I know."

“Right.” Popola nodded before turning to Emil. “Sorry Emil, duty calls.”

“It's ok.” He sighed. “I have a lot to think about for now. Thank you both for sharing so much with us!”

“It was my pleasure, it felt nice to let it out after so long.” Popola smiled and Devola nodded silently in agreement.

The sound of dragging and heavy footsteps brought their attention to the entrance of the tent. The shirtless android from earlier was leaning heavily on his partner, who seemed to have dragged him all the way back from wherever they were.

“My leg...” He groaned, holding up the mangled remains of what once was his newly-repaired limb.

“Are you serious?” Devola snarled. “Again?”

The Resistance member nodded sheepishly and set the leg down on the table next to the twins.

“He stepped on some loose rubble and fell into the pit.” His partner said. “Got his leg caught on some I-beams on the way down. I already patched the stump up and checked his vitals. Everything else is surprisingly fine.”

“All right,” Devola sighed exasperatedly and turned to her patient, “let's get you cleaned up and fitted with a temp leg... again.” She dug through her toolbox and began the process of shutting him down for maintenance.

“Heh... you know Popola...” Devola said after their patient drifted off and his partner headed back out to the field. “I didn't think you'd spill that much out to a complete stranger like that.”

“Hmm... I did share quite a lot, didn't I?” She smiled softly. “You did too though, Devola.”

“Emil just seems to have that effect on people.” A2 shrugged as a small smile crept upon her face.

“What, you gave him your life story too, A2?” Devola snorted.

“Er... something like that.” She responded, biting her lip and shifting her gaze away from the twins. “Shouldn't you be fixing that guy's leg?”

“Meh... he'll be fine.” She shrugged. “Happens at least twice a month to this guy. People have been taking bets over when the next time he'll f—er screw it up again will be.”

A2 snorted in amusement and shook her head slightly.

“So take care of yourself or they're going to be taking bets on you too soon enough.”

She snorted again, this time in annoyance.

“Anyway, this might take a while.” Popola said. “Feel free to come back later, we'd love to chat more.”

“Really?” Emil lit up.

“Really.” Devola nodded.

“That's great! I love hearing your stories!” He chirped. “Well... anyway... we'll leave you two be for now. I wanna think about some stuff now. Goodbye!” He grabbed A2's hand and pulled her out of the tent and through the camp entrance.

“Whoa, Emil where are we going?” A2 panted. Before she could question further, Emil had skidded to a halt and planted himself on the hill above the small pond outside of camp. A2 nearly tripped over a stray root before she caught herself and settled down next to him.

“Kid, give me some more warning before you drag me around like this.”

“Sorry! I was just excited to get to a nice thinking spot!”

“Heh.” A2 closed her eyes and shook her head. “You certainly are a character.”

“Thanks!”

She snorted again and looked over the water to conceal the smile that was growing on her face.

“Anyway... uh... what now?” She asked. Emil sat silently for a long moment as he stared into space, before turning to look at her.

“I wanna find out more about the other Devola and Popola these two were talking about.” He murmured. “I feel like... I wonder if... if I did have some bad experience with another Devola and Popola, I wonder if it could have been _them._ ”

“Who knows. How do you figure you'll find out?”

“I dunno.” He mumbled, defeated. “I've got all the time in the world now. Maybe someone here knows!”

“Maybe.” She continued staring out at the glittering pond. The sunlight dancing on the water was mesmerizing and she soon found herself lost deep in thought. Some unknown amount of time passed as the two sat together silently, as they went over the events of the past few days again and again.

Despite the world being so large and unforgiving, A2 had a glimmering feeling that something out there brought them together for a reason. All of them. Her, Emil, 2B and 9S, and Devola and Popola. It was as if there was some connection between them all that ran deeper than any of them were aware of. She hummed quietly to herself, not wanting to dig too deep within herself in fear of burning herself out even more than she already was from today's events.

"Emil, there you are!" 9S' voice at the entrance of camp snapped them both back to reality. They turned to see the couple approaching them, looking cleaner than before and wearing a fresh set of clothes.

“We finished early and took some time to freshen up and cool off.” 2B said. “How are you two?”

“I'm great!” Emil beamed. “We talked to Devola and Popola for a long time and they told us all about them. And then we came out here and stared at the water for uh... I dunno how long, but it got me thinkin' about stuff.”

“Like what?” Asked 2B, carefully sitting down next to him with 9S following suit immediately after. “Have you remembered anything new?”

“A little bit.” He mumbled. “Something's telling me I had some sort of... connection with the Devola and Popola models that caused all those problems... but I don't know what, and I don't know how to find out more about them.” He turned to 9S. “Do you know anything else?”

“No more than what they've likely told you already.” He answered. “But if I run into anything in the future, I'll be sure to let you know.”

"Really? Thanks, 9S!"

“Don't mention it.” He smiled. 2B stretched her limbs out and placed her hand on Emil's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

“So...” She hummed. “Ready to head out?” 


	16. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emil and the android trio travel around to help the boy find all the scattered lunar tears in hopes of regaining more of his memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuckign hfiwnefoaiwen ginfally holys huckin shit this was a bitch to write. I had to revise and throw out so much shit to get it finished but its fuckin done and I'm p happy with it despite it being a huge pain in the ass to write.  
> ENJOY YALL

The remaining hours blew past without too much excitement. The small group of androids, pods, and... whatever Emil was returned to the field of lunar tears and sat in silence as 2B tried and failed to pull more than a few fragmented and vague memories from the various memorabilia that were carefully displayed in the ancient shack.

Perhaps it was for the best. 9S could feel her body tense as flashes of fire and pain were dredged up from her subconsciousness as her eyes scanned the area. His arms snaked around her and gave her reassuring squeezes as she became visibly distressed from the effort.

A2 stood back, quieter than usual with an unreadable expression on her face as they worked; 9S paid her no mind as he continued to offer small gestures of comfort to his partner to help her through it all. He barely even registered as the attacker slinked into the shadows and ascended the elevator into the light above.

When 2B could pull no more from the assortment of trinkets, the team rejoined A2, who thankfully hadn't wandered that far off, and went on their way to the scattered tears still marked on 9S' map.

Bits and pieces of Emil's memories began to fall into place like ancient puzzle pieces. Memories of his home, memories of his friends, memories of the one most precious to him. Despite everything he recalled that day, his name still escaped him.

As they finished up at the last flower, Emil went silent for a long while as he gazed longingly into the distance. Before the androids' concern grew enough to interrupt him, he abruptly turned to the trio and let out a small sigh.

“I-I don't think I can stay here for much longer.” He mumbled.

“What?” All three gasped in unison.

“What do you mean?” A2 continued.

“I mean uh... You all have done so much for me, and helped me so much... and I really want to stay and spend more time with you and get to know the Resistance more but... there's no way I can just... stay here and play around with you all while thousands of my clones sit there and suffer alone and without any of these precious memories.” His voice began to waver as he scraped his metal claws together.

He continued after a slight pause. “I hope you don't take it personally. I really like you all and I really do _want_ to stay here a lot longer... but I just _can't_. I have to do this. I'm sorry.”

The three androids stood silently as they searched for words while Emil waited patiently.

“You're... you're not going right away right?” A2 mumbled, digging her nails into the palm of her hand and averting her gaze.

“Y-yeah.” 9S added. “At least stay until we have your car thing fixed up.”

“Well yeah, of course!” Emil assured. “I didn't mean I'm going to just run off right this second. I still have some things around here to patch up first before going.”

“Are you sure about this?” A2 asked. “I mean... yeah I guess you can't just leave them alone, but...” 9S glanced in her direction and was surprised to see her lip quivering faintly. She caught his eye and quickly hid it; flashing him a glare before looking back to Emil.

Emil walked up to A2 silently and took her hands in his, looking up at her with his unblinking eyes.

“A2,” he murmured, “even though we've met only a few days ago, it feels like I've known you for a long, long time.”

“Yeah,” she mumbled in response, “I feel the same way.”

He turned to the others. “And the same goes to you two. I'm so glad to have met you all.”

“Hey come on Emil.” 9S said, voice wavering. “Let's save the tearful goodbye to when you actually do leave.” He approached the boy and knelt to eye level with him before placing his hand on the cold dome of his head. “We still got a few days, right?”

“Right!” He nodded. “Yeah like I said, I have things to take care of here...”

“All right then!” 9S smiled softly. “Let's make the most of it!”

* * *

 

Over the next few days, the group worked to repair Emil's car in between the various odd jobs they were assigned throughout the week. A2 huffed and grumbled when Anemone roped her into helping out around camp as well, but eventually quieted down when she realized how much she owed the Resistance for fixing her.

When the repairs were complete, Emil wasted no time in securing himself in the hole made for him and began excitedly zipping around the area to give it a semi-thorough inspection. The trio's heads collectively spun as he rolled and jumped and clambered to new heights in his primitive-looking vehicle.

Satisfied, he rushed back to the others and began herding them in the direction of his stored belongings.

The group reached a small side entrance to the abandoned factory after some clambering over thick vines and rusty fences. Emil, with more grace and precision than anything of his size and build should be theoretically capable of, lead the way and zipped inside the dark room with the androids scrambling to keep up.

9S looked around as his eyes adjusted to the dark. The room was fairly small, yet full of a huge assortment of different items, from metal ores, to broken toys, to tools and weapons. Most of the surfaces, including the walls and floor, were covered with a thick layer of rust. The collected items inside, however, were all free of dust and grime and seemed to be carefully assorted on the multitude of shelves and boxes throughout the room.

At Emil's instructions, 2B and 9S began boxing many of the trinkets up and carefully loaded and secured them into the back of his truck. A2 wandered out to tear at the mess of plants and metal blocking their path, stating that she felt the room was too crowded for all four of them. 9S simply shrugged and continued working alongside 2B and Emil for the next hour or so.

“I think that's almost everything, just a few more things and we're good to go.” Emil said after giving the rusty room a once-over. “Uhm...” He turned to the two dirty androids, “If any of you ever need any of this stuff that's still here, you're free to use whatever you want; it's the least I can do for you for everything you've helped me with.”

"Thank you, Emil." 2B smiled, wiping rust and grease from her brow. "You, and the Emil we met before you have both helped us more than you know." 9S nodded in agreement as he slid up behind her to pick bits of dirt and tree roots from her messy hair.

“Yeah.” 9S added. “Giving us the key to the lunar tear field was very kind of you... or him... and it was one of the only things that gave me a little comfort back... then.” He weaved his fingers through 2B's and squeezed gently.

“Mmm...” 2B sighed and squeezed back. “Plus, it's always been nice to visit when we want to get away from everything for some peace and quiet.”

“Yeah.” He nodded.

“That's good. I'm glad.” The group went silent momentarily as Emil's eyes began drifting around the room for anything missed.

"Oh! I almost forgot something! I put a package in a chest deeper in this building, something precious to me that I wanted to store away for safe keeping... buuut I forgot the password. Hehhheh..." Emil shifted his cart from side to side slightly.

"A-anyway. 9S, do you think you can hack it open for me and bring it back? I'll give you the map. I should have asked earlier before we packed up. I'm sorry, I was gonna just take you there but I don't think I can go there now with all this stuff."

“Yeah, sure.” 9S said. “I can crack any lock no problem.” He pulled up the screen on his pod to see that the directions had already been sent. “Huh, that's not too far. 2B, if you wanna help Emil with the last of the heavy lifting, I can be in and out of there in no time and we can head back home.”

“Sounds good.” She nodded.

“Thank you 9S!” Emil chirped and spun his wheels excitedly. “Oh and just be careful, there's a lot of tar spills in there to look out for; I was trapped in there for a week one time because I got my wheel stuck in one.” He laughed nervously. “That was... not one of my prouder moments.”

“Right, I'll keep an eye out.” 9S nodded, trying to stifle a laugh as he disappeared into the inky blackness, flashing a soft glance 2B as he rounded a corner.

It wasn't long before he found the thick, ancient chest buried halfway in the muck deep in the labyrinth of rooms, and it took even less time to find a weakness in its systems and pop it open.

Satisfied with his speed, he gave himself a mental pat on the back before pulling out a dark oak box no bigger than his pod. He gave it a curious once-over in the dim light before tucking it safely into his pack and turning to leave and...

“Ah _shit._ ” He yelped as he stepped directly in one of the tar puddles Emil had _just_ warned him about. It took all he had to not fall flat on his face and inflict any more injuries to himself other than his bruised ego.

He grumbled in frustration as he slipped out of his boots to attempt to wrestle them from the thick goop he was slowly sinking into. Simply pulling on them wasn't doing much of anything, so he scanned the room for any sort of tools to dig them out... Nothing but small bits of rusty metal and tree roots were anywhere near, so he went back to tugging until...

_Rrrrrrrrip..._

“ _Shit!_ ” 9S yelped as the soles of his boots separated from the tops with a wet tearing sound, sending him crashing back to the ground, flailing around as he righted himself. The scanner quickly realized there was no saving what was still trapped so he threw his hands up and gathered up what he could salvage and continued on, grumbling to himself. They were heading home soon, so it wouldn't be a huge issue, right? He sighed and shrugged as he navigated back through the maze of rooms.

Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel was in sight. 9S tiptoed through the last room, carefully avoiding metal shrapnel and dirty oil puddles. He perked up as 2B's soft voice drifted past his ears and picked up his pace as much as he could in his situation. He was nearly to the door when he heard...

"Hey, 2B?" Emil asked. "Are you ok?"

 _Huh?_ 9S stopped in his tracks as he heard those words.

“...Yeah, why?” She answered cautiously.

“Oh, just... you looked kinda sad earlier.”

His whole body stiffened as he leaned closer, pressing his hand against the wall to balance himself. A flash of guilt in the back of his mind came and went as his curiosity and concern got the better of him.

“W-what are you talking about?” She replied softly, a slight waver in her voice.

 _Yeah, what are you talking about?_ 9S wondered. _Is there something new I'm not catching or..._

“Sorry. I mean like. When we were leaving Kainé's place you were like... looking at 9S so sad like, and it just...” He paused for a moment, letting out a strained, mumbling hum. 9S found himself unable to move, as he waited with bated breaths for 2B's response.

“Actually, forget about what I said, sorry. It's none of my business. Sorry.” He coughed and kicked up some dirt with his wheels, enough that 9S could see a tiny puff of dust motes float through the door.

“It's all right, Emil.” She murmured. “It's nothing really, just well... you know enough about my past... and just... it'll take a while to move on. D-don't worry about it.”

“Y-yeah, I do.” He stuttered. “I know, I'm sorry, I was just wondering if there was anything else going on that I could help with.”

2B let out a soft hum. “Nothing new happened really.” She murmured. “It's just that... i-it's nothing, really...” Her voice dimmed and he could hear a definite sadness in it. “Thank you though.”

"Just spill it." A2's huffy voice cut through, as she trudged her way back inside. 9S narrowly ducked down to avoid detection and held his breath as she sat herself down on a pile of junk directly on the other side of the door. "The twins and I already have, and at this rate, everyone in the Resistance is going to tell him their life stories by the time he leaves."

2B sighed and shifted in her seat, the creaking metal holding her up threatened to give out under her weight, but 9S heard no attempts to prevent that. Another sigh and a quiet murmur escaped her lips before she finally spoke.

"Well... I just... Nines is... He's so kind and understanding and works so hard to make me happy and feel... loved... but after all I've done to him in the past... how I hurt him and took everything away from him again and again..." Her voice began to waver and she paused for a moment to recollect herself. "It's just... I feel like I'll never be able to make it up to him. I don't... I don't know..."

She paused again to take a deep, shaky breath. “He does so much for me and always knows what to do and... I'm just... I'm just made to break things. I've given him my memories... and myself... but it's not enough... but what else is there left to give?”

“Is he making you feel this way?” A2 asked flatly.

“N-no! Of course not. He—”

“Then what's the problem?”

The room went silent for a long moment. 9S could hear 2B shifting even more in her seat the longer she took to formulate a response.

“B-because... w-what do you mean?”

Emil spoke up. “I think she means that like... if 9S is happy with the way you are now and everything you're doing for him, then...”

“Just because you're not good enough for yourself, doesn't mean you're not good enough for him.”

“A2!” Emil gasped. “That's not a nice way to put it.”

“'S true though.” She shrugged.

Another thick silence filled room until a soft scraping of fingernails on rust began vibrating through the metal walls.

"I..." 2B's voice was weak and sounded on the verge of tears. 9S desperately wanted to run in and pull her in a warm embrace but at the same time, he found himself stuck in his spot worse than his boots were stuck in the tar. "But what if..."

A2 let out a long, deep sigh. “2B. I'm not exactly therapist material or the best person to be talking to this about, and I honestly don't even want to be involved in this conversation. But 9S loves you. So much. You know that. I know that. Literally everyone back at camp knows that.

“I watched him fall apart right before my eyes when he saw you die. You are the world to him and the only thing that kept him going after he lost you was his memories of you and his quest to avenge you.”

“...I know he does. I'm not doubting that.” She murmured. “I just worry that... that I'm not doing everything I can for him, or giving him everything he needs from me.”

“Look, 2B. If there's something more he wants from you then he needs to come out and say it. If there's things he's hiding from you because he doesn't want to hurt your feelings or whatever that's his problem. Not yours.”

“But...” She murmured. “I—I guess. I just...”

9S leaned forward as her voice became too quiet to hear from where he stood. He was so absorbed by what she was saying that he forgot he wasn't wearing shoes. He stepped forward and...

Pain shot up his leg as the sharp edge of a shrapnel cut into the exposed flesh of his foot. He jumped back with a gasp, grasping his wound and leaning up against the wall to keep his balance. Before he could react further, he heard something shifting in the next room as boots touched down on the gritty floor and began tapping in his direction.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit._ He looked around wildly for something to hide behind, but to his misfortune, the room was completely barren.

“A2, what's going on?” He could hear 2B's concerned voice echo out.

“Shh...” Hissed A2. Her footsteps grew louder and 9S stood frozen, mind racing as his eyes locked on the doorway.

The entrance darkened as A2 rounded the corner, sword gripped tightly in her hand. Her eyes widened ever-so-slightly as she took in the pitiful sight. He stared back, wide-eyed, as every possible scenario flashed through his mind.

Before he could even react, A2 turned and walked back into the room without a word.

“False alarm. Just a big rat.” She said and sat back down. 9S could hear relieved sighs come from the other two as they relaxed. _Of all the excuses she could have made..._ His face twisted in annoyance but he shook it from his mind in favor of focusing back on the conversation.

"Aww! I like rats, they're so cute!" Chirped Emil. "Except that time one tried to use my head to store nuts and berries... That wasn't so cute. I could feel them rattling around in my head for days."

“I'm sure that rat had a big surprise when their storage room started moving.” 2B chuckled.

“Heh, yeah, it was kinda funny seeing the confused look on their tiny face.”

“Anyway...” 2B mumbled, breaths evening out and voice gaining some of its usual strength. “Nines has been gone a while. I'm starting to get a little... worried. Maybe I should call him.”

“I'm sure he's fine.” Said A2. “I think I might have heard some footsteps in the distance when I checked the other room, so he's probably on his way back as we speak.”

 _Guess that's my cue._ He began tiptoeing away until he was well into the previous room, then turned and walked back with purposefully heavy footsteps, flinching every time his injured foot hit the dirty floor.

“Oh, would you look at that. Sounds like he's almost here.”

9S could hear a rustling sound and hurried footsteps and before he knew it, 2B appeared in the doorway. Her face lit up as she saw him standing before her, safe and sound, but a look of confusion and concern flashed across her face a moment later as she noticed his lack of shoes.

“Nines, what happened?” She gasped.

“2B! I uh... didn't pay quite enough attention to Emil's warning... with the tar and all that.” He admitted, laughing softly. “It's all right though, I think I put some tape in your bag so I can make 'em work until we get back home.” He stepped forward, trying his best to hide his limp, and wrapped his arms around his partner, burying his face in her chest.

“I love you, 2B.” He murmured.

2B paused for a brief moment, before wrapping her arms around him as well and resting her lips on his head.

“I love you too, Nines.” She hummed. They stood silently for a moment, enjoying their quiet reunion until an annoyed huff from A2 brought them both back to reality. They released their embrace and turned to rejoin the other two.

In that small window of time, 9S had already forgotten about his foot injury but was quickly reminded as a sharp pain shot through it when he carelessly stepped forward. He let out a quick gasp and 2B immediately spun around to see what happened.

“It's ok 2B.” He assured before she could get a word in. “I just cut my foot on the way back, it's not that bad.” He gingerly walked forward but 2B scooped him up in her arms before he could get too far. The scanner let out a small squeak in surprise as she spun him around and carried him into the light.

“Nines, you could have called me.” 2B said, words tinged with sadness. “I would have been there in an instant.” Guilt twisted in his stomach and he leaned his head against her chest in a small act of apology.

“It was only a few rooms back.” He responded as she placed him down atop the junk heap A2 was sitting on not two minutes before. “It's all right 2B, it's not that bad.”

“Let me see it.” 2B knelt down before him and took his damaged foot in her hand, pulling it up to examine it.

“Oh thank goodness.” She sighed. “It looks pretty shallow.” She pulled some water and a cloth out of her bag and began tenderly cleaning the wound. His foot twitched within her grip as the cold water gave his warm skin a shock.

“See? Not bad at all, it just hurts a bit, given the placement.”

“Do you want me to carry you?”

“N-no, I'm ok, really. A bit of staunching gel and painkillers should be enough for now.”

“Are you sure?” Doubt and concern weaved itself through her quiet words. 9S smiled softly and leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on her forehead before pressing it against his. 2B sighed and pressed back, and he could feel her body relax ever-so-slightly from the contact.

“Wellll...” He hummed. “I guess a big, strong combat model like you would have no trouble carrying me for a bit, I _guuuesss_ you can.” A small laugh escaped 2B's lips and an annoyed grunt escaped A2's simultaneously, which both 9S and 2B completely ignored.

“I'd love to.” She smiled. “I haven't carried you in a while, have I?”

“No, you haven't. It's not too late to start doing it more.” He chuckled, winking at her.

“Could you two hurry up?” A2 groaned. “Or do you just want to sit here in this musty room all day?”

“It's ok, A2, I can wait a bit longer.” Emil spoke up. “I like seeing people be happy together! There's not enough happiness in this world, so we should treasure every moment we can get!”

A2 huffed again but said no more. Emil was right, she supposed, she just wished she didn't have to see them sucking each other's faces off, or being so _disgustingly_ adorable with each other in front of her.

2B and 9S shared a soft laugh as she scooped him back up in her arms and walked over to join the others. 9S flashed a smug grin at A2 as they passed, who responded with a tight-lipped expression of annoyance.

“So, Emil.” 9S said from the safety of 2B's arms. “Ready to head back to camp?

"Yeah!" He exclaimed as he jogged in place excitedly. "Let's go!" In a flash, he was off, zooming past the freshly cleared fences and vines, leaving the trio in the dust once again.

2B chuckled softly and took off after him, clutching 9S close to her chest in a warm and safe embrace. He held her tightly and gazed dreamily up at her the entire way back.

_It's ok. Everything will be ok. It's nothing we haven't faced before. We'll get through this together._

* * *

 

"Well, I guess that's everything." Emil said after 9S gave him another thorough check back at camp.

“You sure you don't wanna stay a few more days?” 9S asked. “We really did enjoy helping you out and spending time with you.”

“I did too! It was the most fun I've had in a long long long long time.” Emil chirped. “And I'm sure. I don't want my clones to be alone for any longer. They need me... as much as I need them.”

"Right, I understand." He nodded, wiping the dirt and grease from his hands with a dusty rag. "Be sure to give us a call and come visit sometime. It'd be nice to see you again."

“Of course! Plus, if all goes well, my clones will be coming back here to see the flowers, so you all can meet them too, so it'd almost be like I'm not even gone that much.”

"That's... not quite the same." 2B spoke up from where she sat nearby. 9S glanced backward to see a dim expression on her face and quickly turned to join her, shimmying his way on the small bench until they were both precariously on it.

“Yeah... I guess you're right.” Emil bumped his wheel upwards abruptly in what seemed like an attempt at a shrug.

“Oh, A2!” He turned to his left slightly as she appeared in the entrance of camp. “You're just in time. 9S said everything is in working order and that I'm ready to go so... I guess it's time to say... goodbye for now.” He approached her and extended his strange arm out to hers. She took it in hers after staring for a moment and he gave it a solid shake before letting it fall.

“I don't... I don't really know what else to say besides thank you, all of you.” He sniffed. “I'm gonna miss you all... but don't worry, I'll make sure to call and check up on you.” He revved his engine and shifted in the direction of the camp's entrance.

“Wait, Emil...” A2 mumbled. Emil's engine quieted and he turned back to face her, cocking his head to the side. She stared at him for a moment, chewing on her lip and shifting stiffly in her place.

“I-I'll come with you... It's probably for the best that I leave this place. I—I have no business being here anymore.”

“R-really?” He stuttered. “You want to come with me?” He bounced up an down excitedly, but abruptly stopped as he let out a small, sharp, gasp.

“W-wait, no.” His voice dimmed and he backed up a tiny bit. “I mean, I'd love to have some company, but... I was gonna ask you... well... I-I need you to stay here. I mean, if you want. But I need someone to be here to greet the other Emils as they come to find the lunar tears.”

“Oh... Wait, why can't they do it?” She grunted, gesturing to 2B and 9S.

“Well, I mean, them too but... you're the one that reminds me most of _her._ And... wait, don't get me wrong 2B, you remind me of her too and I really like you too and all but uh...”

“It's ok, Emil.” 2B smiled and let out a soft half-laugh. “I understand what you're getting at, don't worry.”

“Oh, ok, good.” He exhaled sharply. “But yeah, I want you to be here to help greet them when they get here. I mean, I can't make you stay, but I'd really like it if you would do this for me. We can always talk and stuff still, so it won't be so bad!”

A2 hesitated a moment, biting her lip slightly as she searched for a response.

“All right, Emil.” She sighed. “Just... give me a heads up when you send them over so I don't wake up with three of you staring at my face.”

“R-right, sorry about that, uh, the other day!”

A2 simply shrugged and approached Emil, kneeling down before him until she was eye-level with him.

“Emil...” She began.

“Yeah?”

“...Nothing, just, be safe out there, there's still hostile machines out there.” She placed her hand on his cold head and gently brushed the thin layer of dust off it.

“Don't worry, I've survived a million bajillion years so far, I think I can last a few more just fine.”

“I'm glad.” She smiled. The two sat there in silence for another moment before A2's hand slid off his head as she stood up and brushed herself off.

“A-anyway.” Emil coughed, revving his engine for a final test. “I guess I'll be going now... Goodbye A2, goodbye 2B, goodbye 9S, goodbye pod 042, and 153, and 013, and uh...” He turned to A2's other two pods.

“Tactical Support Unit 666 and Tactical Support Unit 420.” The two said in unison.

“Right!” He nodded and turned to go. “I'll call you in a few hours, once I get past the desert safely... So... Goodbye!”

The three said their goodbyes as Emil slowly made his way out of camp and sped up as he weaved his way through the rubble of the city, off to lands unknown.

“Think he'll really be ok out there?” 9S wondered.

“He'll be fine.” A2 shrugged. “Like he said, he's been alive forever and can handle himself. At least I hope so, because I would much rather not have to track him down and dig him out of the sand again.”

9S let out a sharp snort and shook his head in response. “Yeah, same.

2B stood and stretched her arms to the skies. “I think it's time to call it quits for the day.” She yawned. “I don't want you pushing yourself harder than you need to Nines. Your foot still needs some rest.”

“Twooo Beeee.” He whined playfully. “I'm a big boy, I can handle this kind of work.” A2 let out another snort and turned away from them. He caught her eye quickly and glanced back at 2B.

“You can go on ahead.” He continued. “I can finish cleaning up here, shouldn't take more than five minutes.

“You sure?” She hummed.

“Mhm. You know how particular Anemone can be about her tools.”

“Mmm, true.” She nodded. “All right, if you insist.”

9S smiled and began gathering up the scattered tools as 2B headed back to their room.

“Hey... A2?” He turned back to the attacker the moment 2B closed the door.

A2 simply turned and stared at him with an exhausted expression.

“...Thanks... for covering my ass earlier.”

“Don't mention it.” She responded flatly. “It's not my place to say anything.”

“Yeah... I guess...” He dug his toe into the dirt and kept his gaze low. “What do you suppose I should do? How do I let her know—”

“Kid, I'm not here to be your couple's counselor.” She snapped. “You're the problem solver here, you figure it out. Or go call Emil or something.”

9S flinched and grit his teeth at her words. “...Sorry. I just... I love her so much and want her to be happy and just... I just don't want her to keep thinking I'm not happy with her the way she is.”

A2 sighed and gently placed her hand on his head. He stiffened up and his entire body screamed at him to pull away, but he held fast and forced himself to relax again. His eyes slowly drifted upward and gasped in shock to see her smiling softly at him; it was small and awkward, but it was still genuine and kind.

“I know.” She sighed. “And she loves you too. You don't know how lucky you are to have been given a second chance.” Her smile faded and eyes dimmed and she quickly turned away from him, letting her hand fall limply to her side. “Don't let it go to waste.” The attacker walked off without another word, leaving 9S to contemplate his feelings alone.

"Don't worry." He said before she was out of earshot. "I won't." A2 simply paused in her stride and nodded slowly, before heading on her way.

 

**~End Book One~**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no idea why it was so hard to write chapters with Emil in them, but now that he's off on his merry way, progress on Book Two should be a lot quicker.  
> And...  
> Now I can start with the thing I've been wanting to start  
> Finally...  
> I can introduce yall to Stinky  
> and the boys.


	17. Salvage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance picks up a distress signal coming from the ocean. They do some investigating and discover it's coming from the remains of the Bunker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Book two: GO!

The weeks flew by after Emil's departure without much incidence. The Resistance spent their days repairing the buildings around them to a livable condition. Since the knowledge of humanity's extinction, they found no real need to spend all their time repairing the countless high-rises all over the city, so they focused their efforts on themselves, and let nature reclaim the rest. The ground trembled as the giant concrete overpasses near camp were toppled to create makeshift barriers and many surrounding buildings were demolished to scavenge parts to finish repairing others. The thousands of tons of rubble from the tower went to good use as well, especially with their strange cooling properties.

2B and 9S worked tirelessly to aid the other androids; 2B, of course, did the heavy-lifting while 9S worked on the planning and logistics of it all. Even the Emil clones, who occasionally dropped by on their pilgrimage to the lunar tear field, took a few hours or days of their time to help out before rolling back out into parts unknown. Occasionally Pascal and his new villagers would stop by to plant flowers and help with the landscaping. And even less frequently A2 would appear from wherever she lurked for a while, being dragged along by whichever clone happened to want her company.

The new opportunities attracted many androids from surrounding areas. Morale destroyed after the truth about humanity's extinction leaked out; they had nowhere to go, and no one to fight for. The prospect of living with androids determined to move forward despite that was too inviting for many of the survivors to pass up. Despite losing their programmed reason to continue living, they pushed on and began forging new bonds with each other.

When all was said and done, the new area was almost unrecognizable compared to the first day they arrived all those long months ago. The tower's rubble crushed a good one-third of the city and extended far out into the surrounding areas. Most of the buildings between camp and the flooded city had been demolished; a clear path now led from there to the rubbly beach.

Finally, 2B and 9S could flop down on the clean sheets in their nice new flat and get some much-needed rest. It was quite roomy compared to their refurbished storage area they stayed in for so long. The apartment was located on the topmost floor of the building; each side, as well as the flat below were dedicated storage areas. 9S found that arrangement quite strange but didn't think too much of it in the end.

It wasn't exactly some spectacular example of architecture and interior design, but they both loved it regardless. The common area was quite roomy with plenty of space to move about in; they didn't exactly have much need for a kitchen or anything like that so they didn't bother even adding one. The two large, beige couches sat across and to the left side of the big screen on the back wall.

Two potted plants bordered the window that took up most of the wall overlooking the ocean. They hardly had the need for any extra lighting, however, 9S had taken it upon himself to install some fancy ceiling lights that he could control with his pod for when they decided to pull the thick curtains closed for some nice mood lighting.

Opposite to the window was the bedroom and bathroom. A bunch of assorted storage containers lined the wall on the way; most were still empty, but 9S had collected them anyway “just in case”. Of course, the bathroom had an enormous tub the boy had built himself, complete with its own heating system to accommodate their long soaks together. The bedroom had an equally large bed, nearly three times the size of their tiny cot in camp. The rest of the room was quite plain, just a desk beside the bed already stacked with papers and gadgets as well as tall shelves at the foot.

“Aahhhhhhhhhhhh...” 9S sighed as he spread out as much as he could on their new mattress. “It's about time we got something we both can sleep comfortably on.”

“Mmm...” 2B mumbled in agreement as she flopped over on top of him. 9S let out a surprised squeak as she forced the air from his lungs but quickly recovered and planted a quick kiss on her forehead.

“So what do you wanna do next, 2B? Feeling like a nap?” A sly grin spread across his face as he leaned up to her ear and lowered his voice. “Or do you want to see what else this bed—”

“Alert:” Pod 153 blared. “Incoming call from Anemone.”

“Goddamit, this had better be good.” He grumbled as he took the call... making sure it was audio only.

“9S.” Anemone's voice piped up almost immediately. “You and the other scanners are needed down in my office immediately. We have some important new findings that we need to discuss with you.”

“Right away, Anemone.” 9S responded with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. He groaned as she hung up and turned to 2B. “Man, she couldn't even give us five minutes to get used to the new place. Ah well, better go see what's up. You'll be fine up here on your own, right 2B?” He hummed with a wink.

“I'm not sure.” She hummed back. “Maybe for a few minutes, but I don't know what I'd do all alone for very long.” She put on her best puppy-dog eyes and stared at him for a few moments before they both burst out laughing.

“Heh, I'll be back soon... hopefully.” 9S squirmed out from underneath 2B as she seemed to have no intention of getting off him. He waved a final dramatic goodbye before heading off.

* * *

“Hey, 2B!” 9S sang as he burst through the door to their home nearly two hours later, almost vibrating with pent-up energy.

“Nines!” She rushed out of the bedroom to greet him, wrapping her arms around him as if she hadn't seen him in weeks. “That was a long meeting, is everything all right?”

“Yeah, everything's fine!” He chirped excitedly. “I have some good news... I hope. The Resistance has been picking up some strange signals over the ocean. They sent out some drones and ROVs and they think they've found the remains of the Bunker.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. The more they listen to them, the more they started sounding like distress signals. They're going to send a carrier ship out there in a few days to see if they can salvage anything.”

“Distress signals?”

“Yeah, I mean, I don't want to get too hopeful, but you know how 11S managed to survive the fall of YoRHa because I accidentally halted the entire scanner network's data transfer when I halted ours? Well, there were still a few scanners on the Bunker when it all happened... so...”

“Wait... Are you saying... That there could be survivors? After this long?”

“Well, that's the thing...” He admitted. “It's not likely... but there is a slight possibility. You know the storage units in the East Wing? Those things are built to withstand anything, including falling in the ocean. The only issue... is that we don't know how well they'd hold up underwater for as long they have. Well, that and the likelihood that even one scanner was near them and could get themselves strapped in without being killed by infected units... or blown up... is pretty low.

“But...” He continued. “The fact that there are distress signals coming from that area mean that that the likelihood is still above zero. So the Resistance is preparing the medics as well as regular salvaging equipment. Just in case. Anemone said to be prepared for anything... but not to get our hopes up.”

“Oh... so if there are then... is there a chance that...” Her voice lowered and her eyes faded slightly. “No... never mind... if there really were survivors, they'd only be scanners, right?”

“Yeah. I'm sorry, 2B... Everyone else was synced up with the Bunker when the virus hit.”

“...Right...”

“Hey, but you never know! Maybe they figured out how to save everyone else before it fell somehow!” They both knew it was just wishful thinking, but 2B seemed to appreciate his optimism regardless.

A sliver of a smile grew on her face. “Maybe you're right. Who knows with you scanner types. We can't rule anything out.”

9S could feel his face warm slightly. “Heh... yeah... Well anyway, they've asked us to come along and help out, what do you think?”

“Is that even a question? Of course we're going. Even if... we don't find... them, we can still possibly help the scanners.”

“Yeah! And maybe we can salvage some information on YoRHa too, so we can build a functioning backup system for us, and better ways to keep our bodies in proper maintenance.”

“That'd be nice. That would be... a huge weight off my chest.”

“Mine too.” He hummed. “I'm still... never mind. Let's go help out, shall we? Ship's already docked out in the flooded city.” He gave her one more squeeze before taking her by the hand and leaping out the open window at the end of the hall, skipping the slow elevator ride down in favor of good old-fashioned pod travel.

After another few minutes of briefing by Anemone and being weighed down with a ton of supplies, they were off towards the docks. 9S was silently relieved that the road there was much shorter than it used to be, but before they could make it all the way there, a familiar face emerging from seemingly nowhere stopped them in their tracks.

“Oh, A2.” 2B said from behind her stack of boxes. “Good timing. Anemone wanted us to call you once we've dropped these off. We've located the remains of the Bunker and are going out on a ship to retrieve them soon, and there's a small chance there's some surviving androids out there. Would you like to accompany us?”

“ _No._ ” She snapped. “Why would I?”

2B nodded in acceptance. “We knew you'd probably say no, but wanted to extend the invitation just in case. Then would you be able to stay back at camp until we return? Most of the YoRHa androids are coming along with us and some of the Resistance has expressed concern about having no protection for the week or so we'll be gone.”

“...Sure.” She shrugged.

“Thank you.” 2B smiled. “Anemone should have more information for you; we have to head out and finish loading the ship. We'll keep in touch if you'd like.”

“Eh, I don't care either way. Do what you wanna do.”

“All right.” She responded and the couple continued on their way. 9S gave A2 a quick nod as he passed and she curtly reciprocated before turning back towards camp.

* * *

The next day they set out to sea. 9S couldn't hide his excitement of being on a ship for the first time in his short life. Even 2B looked like she was enjoying the salty breeze and the sound of seabirds flying alongside them.

There was a lot of work to be done in preparation for their arrival. 9S found himself running back and forth a lot, inspecting all the retrieval equipment to make sure it was in proper working order to keep up with the high workload. 2B spend most of her time doing the heavy lifting for the crew, as usual.

The two chased each other around on their downtime, making a game of who could stay on their feet the longest whenever the water got choppy. 2B won nearly every time; having to fight in heels for so long gave her a definite advantage when it came to keeping her balance. The other crew members didn't seem too pleased with their reckless behavior, but the two always took care to steer far from the edges to avoid an unpleasant plunge into the icy waters. Their bright, flashy life jackets would spare them the fate of sinking like a rock, but salt water was always a pain to clean out of android systems, and even less enjoyable would be the inevitable chewing out by the ship's captain, Sage, because “if one of you idiots falls in because you're carelessly dancing around I'm _not_ turning this ship around to save you. Swim back yourself.”

A day passed and they were nearing their destination. The androids gathered near the sonar display and waited with anticipation for anything to pop up on the display. They all jumped in unison the moment something artificial-looking appeared. In no time at all, they rushed to ready the ROVs and sent the first one off in a flash, watching as it slowly descended to the murky depths.

“How long will it take to start picking up debris?” 2B asked.

“With the depth we're at now, it could be up to an hour. If it sinks too fast, the change in pressure could cause it to implode.”

“I see.”

They continued on as the ROV did its work. Several more hours went by and the last one had been sent down. The exhausted androids sat down for a breather and some maintenance, and 9S shooed away any androids offering to help 2B out. It seemed, at this point, that they were doing it on purpose to get a rise out of him. She couldn't hold back her laughter as he waved his hands at another combat model who suggested checking the salt buildup in her joints.

“Niiines. It's fine.” She said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. “There's nothing to worry about.”

“I know. But I wanna do it,” he pouted, “and they might screw something up.”

“All YoRHa models are well equipped to handle simple maintenance job like this. Plus, you never have a problem with Devola and Popola fixing me up.”

“Well yeah, they've been doing repairs for thousands of years, so they know what they're doing.”

“I guess that's true. But really, Nines, there's nothing to worry about, nobody here is going to hurt me, intentionally or not.”

9S hummed in response and dropped the conversation. He knew she was right, even though her being harmed wasn't the only thing he was anxious about when another android approached her like that.

Soon enough, the ROVs began sending their hauls back up attached to giant balloons. The red buoys waited almost patiently for the ship to come around and drag them back on board. There wasn't much of interest at first; it was mostly just chunks of the outer walls, solar panels, or computers with no salvageable data on them. Still, the Resistance found use of them and stripped off what they needed before sending the rest back into the depths.

It was only until 9S had nearly died of boredom that they finally hauled up what they... at least what the YoRHa androids were anticipating. The entirety of the surviving forces on board crowded around it as they prepared to look inside. The unit itself wasn't too damaged; it looked more-or-less like the transport terminals up in the Bunker, albeit larger and covered with barnacles and anemones. 9S had the honor of chipping away at the handle until he could pry it open to reveal...

Nothing... The empty void inside seemed to laugh at the group as a palpable wave of disappointment washed over them all. 9S did his best to reassure them as this was the first in dozens of units that were still down there, plus the fact that it hadn't flooded with water in all that time was also a good sign. They all filed back to their stations, crestfallen, but still clinging to that sliver of hope that brought them on the ship in the first place.

The next few they found were roughly the same; more often than not they did manage to stay intact, but, like the first one they were completely empty. It wasn't until the fourth or fifth unit that anything changed.

9S pried the rusting door ajar with all his strength and peered inside. His heart skipped a beat as he caught sight something; the small amount of light that filtered in illuminated the telltale glint of golden buttons all-too-familiar to 9S.

“I-I think there's someone inside!” He gasped. “There's someone inside! 2B! Help me get this door off all the way!” 2B, as well as a handful of other nearby androids appeared at his side in the blink of an eye and waited as she wrenched the door off its hinges with next to no effort.

An acrid smell hit the small group all at once and caused them to synchronously recoil and cover their faces. The undeniable stench of rust and blood permeated the area and was mixed in with some less familiar smells that came with the various trace liquids that coursed through android bodies. They shook their heads clear and looked inside to assess the damage.

The scanner was in terrible condition. Dried blood crusted his brown hair together into clumps and ran down the right side of his face, caking his eye shut. The blood seemed to have come from a single origin point above his right ear, where the clotting was the thickest. There was a matching smear of it on the side of the container where his head likely collided on impact.

His right arm was missing below the elbow and a makeshift tourniquet made from his sock had been hastily tied above the stump. It was not a clean cut in any way, it seemed more likely it was torn off... but by what? His coat sleeve was completely shredded and had soaked up a good amount of the blood that spilled from the wound. Wires and tendons dangled and poked out in every direction and his metallic skeleton was broken and warped at the exposed end. Flaps of skin decorated the edges and a particularly large piece hung by a thread and left a good tenth of his arm below the tourniquet exposed.

It seemed the missing arm led to the damage to his head as he was not able to fully secure himself in with only one hand. His legs and most everything on his right side were properly strapped in, but his left arm rested limply against the back of the storage unit. Aside from a small cut below the shoulder, that arm seemed to have been spared the trauma his right arm suffered. A long, but shallow gash crossed his entire chest diagonally, cutting through the thick velvet of his coat and letting part of it slide off over his arm.

His other sock was tied around his calf, likely to staunch an even deeper gash underneath. Both his shoes were missing and his feet were covered in small cuts with bits of glass still sticking out of the deeper ones.

9S cringed as he pulled up his holo-screen to run diagnostics on the scanner. “This doesn't look good at all. He seems to have sustained a lot of damage from fighting off infected units, and then more from the impact due to not being completely secured. I'll run a check on his vitals though, just in case.” He ran the scan and...

“A-are you serious?” He gasped. “I'm detecting a faint black box signal! He's... alive?” He turned to the androids crowded behind him. “Someone grab a stretcher! He needs to get to the sick-bay ASAP.”

They scrambled and within seconds, a healer came forward with a handful of supplies. She knelt beside him and carefully stabilized his neck with a brace while a Resistance member cut away the remaining restraints. Together they carefully transferred him to the stretcher and hurried below deck. 9S began to follow but stopped himself and everyone else trying to follow. His curiosity would have to wait for now; if they all went down to watch, they'd just be getting in the way of the healers.

“I think that might have been 13S.” 9S mumbled.

“Did you know him?” 2B asked.

“Sorta. We talked a few times in passing, but we weren't really that close.”

“Either way. I'm glad he's alive.” 2B smiled. “Maybe you two can become closer friends when he wakes up.”

“Yeah. Yeah, maybe we could!” He said before the bright pink of another float caught his eye. “We should be approaching the next float, let's h—”

“No good here!” He was cut off as 11S shared his finds from the unit his group hauled up. “We found someone but the entire thing is flooded and coated in epifauna and all sorts of weird things.”

“Salvage what you can and dump the rest.” Yelled Sage from where she stood above. “We don't have room for mementos.”

“Right!” He responded, pulling the encrusted YoRHa unit out and, with the help of his teammates, began dismantling the container.

* * *

This became the routine over the next few days. Run around the ship all day, salvaging anything and anyone they could, monitoring the ROVs, and keep up with general ship maintenance until it was time to switch with the “night” shift.

Much to their dismay, the majority of the storage containers hauled up had been empty or flooded with seawater and any unit inside destroyed. Additionally, most of the undamaged ones they did pull up were just empty shells of combat units that were being stored for backup.

“It's still better than nothing.” 9S would say. “We could work on modifying these to be universal backups for any android, well, at least for YoRHa.”

The YoRHa's morale slowly faded again at each new storage haul after the initial high of finding the surviving scanner wore off. They tried to keep each others' spirits up, despite knowing the likelihood of finding a loved one alive was infinitesimally low.

“Oi, we need a scanner over here!” A Resistance member called out from beside a container. 9S dropped what he was doing and rushed over with 2B at his side. “He might be alive! He's got some wear and tear on him, unlike all the empty models. So maybe...”

9S peered inside to see another brown-haired scanner secured neatly in place. This one looked in much better condition than 13S; his short hair and clothing were fairly disheveled and he had a handful of superficial cuts and scrapes along his right arm. His hand was wrapped up tightly with a visor, and blood faintly stained the black fabric, but that was the extent of the damages that 9S could see.

He pulled up his holo-screen and did a scan to check his vitals.

“Amazing...” He breathed. “Everything internal looks fine; vitals all green, black box temperature normal... He's just... in extended shutdown... We might actually be able to activate him as soon as we repair his hand.”

More YoRHa had gathered around to see before a healer finally shoved her way past and carried him below deck to examine him. They all buzzed with anticipation as they continued with their duties; everyone's morale seemed to noticeably improve after that, helping them all push through the final day or two of work.

* * *

The next shift was spent mostly on cleanup and inventory; the salvaging itself slowed to a crawl as the ROVs pulled up the last of the pieces they could locate. 9S took refuge in the shade of an empty storage unit to go over bits of corrupted data they discovered in hopes of finding _something_ they could recover.

“If the numbers are correct,” 9S called out to 2B as she fumbled with a new storage unit, “we only have four or five of these left to check. We should be heading home within a few hours, then we can finally activate the two scanners and see how they did the impossible.”

9S stretched and groaned as he stood back up. “Man, this salt's really getting to me again. How are you holding up, 2B?”

No response.

“2B?” He popped his head out from where he was to see her standing at the open door of a storage unit, gripping a thick, purple book tightly in her hands. Several dried flowers littered the ground by her feet and a few more threatened to fall. Her hands shook as she turned the pages and her eyes flashed between it and whoever was inside the box.

9S dropped what he was doing and ran over to see what was up. 2B paid him no mind as he approached; it was as if she didn't even register he was there. He peered inside and gasped as he caught sight of the uncanny likeness of someone special to 2B safely strapped inside: Operator 6O.

But... it wasn't her, it couldn't be, could it? Despite her face and hair looking exactly like 2B's beloved Operator, this unit was clearly a Healer. She wore the standard uniform of someone who deploys out to the field, visor and all. So there was no way this was the same 6 model 2B grew so close to yet... where did that book come from? And why was 2B gripping it like a long-lost memento?

“2B?” He murmured. “Are you—” His words were cut off by a sharp gasp from 2B.

“A-activate her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was considering starting a separate "book" entirely on AO3 but I wanted to keep that sweet sweet word and kudos count.


	18. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2B rushes to activate the 6H model in hopes of finding she's really 6O, but complications arise and their reunion is cut short... for now.

“2B... this isn't—” 9S murmured, placing his hand on her shoulder as she stared down the 6H model in the container.

“Just do it!” She yelled, nearly shoving the book into his face. “This is her journal! It's her! It has to be!”

“O-ok, hang on.” He booted up his holo-screen as 2B pulled the 6H model out. Maybe she was right. There certainly weren't many explanations for her journal being in there but... it still made no sense.

“I really should do a scan of her systems first. A fall like that could have done a number on her internal hardware... and there's always the chance of dormant viral contamination.”

“Hurry... please.” 2B whimpered, laying the 6H model on the deck carefully shifting her body around until she was face up in 2B's lap. She pulled the dark visor off and tossed it away.

9S synced his pod's scanner to the android and quickly scanned over the data that flashed up on the screen. He held his breath as it ran a thorough virus check and internal diagnostics.

“That's...” He gasped. “No way.”

“What? _What?_ ” 2B whined.

"There's data in here. A lot of it... Virus scans come up clean... And internal damage is... minimal. I think—"

“Can we activate her?”

“Y-yes, we can. But 2B... just... be ready for anything, ok?”

2B nodded, chewing on her lip and fiddling with one of the 6H model's braids.

9S smiled softly for her and took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.” He said as he activated the android.

They waited in complete, frozen silence as the unit's systems came online.

“Operator!” 2B called out. “6O can you hear me?”

“Ngh...” The android groaned and twisted slightly in her arms. Her eyes cracked open slightly but flinched in the harsh sunlight. “2... 2B? Wh...what..?”

“Operator! Y-you remember me?”

“Mmm... 'course I do.” She murmured. “'s just talking to you an hour ago... 2B...? Somethin' happen...?”

2B's jaw dropped and she simply stared at 6O. She gazed back in groggy confusion until 2B finally nodded, trembling. “Y-yes. So much has happened... 6O... I-I don't even know where to begin, I'm just...” Her voice trailed off as she decided which of the million possible things she should say next.

“It's so bright... can barely see... Where... are we?”

“We're... on Earth. We're on Earth, and the war is over and you're alive and you're safe and...” 2B let out a sharp gasp as tears welled up in her eyes. She pulled 6O into a hug, pressing her face into her chest to shield her eyes. “I... I thought I lost you...”

“Earth? I like Earth... I can get you some flowers now...” She hummed, sliding her hand up over 2B's shoulder to weakly hug back.

“Yes, yes! Flowers! When we get back home we can pick so ma—” 2B was cut off by a sudden jolt through 6O. Her body tensed and fingers dug into 2B's shoulder for a split second before relaxing slightly.

“2B I don't feel so good.” 6O groaned.

“Wh-what?” 2B gasped, pulling back to look at her Operator. Her face was pulled in a tight grimace

“M-my body hurts.”

“S-6O?!” 2B's eyes flashed up to 9S when 6O could only groan in response. “Nines what's wrong, what's happening? Is it a virus?!”

“N-no! The virus scans came up clean! Shit it could be from impact damages I didn't think it was...” Several new warnings popped up on his holo-screen as he re-scanned 6O.

“Shit I have no idea what's going on now. She—” He was cut off by a strangled cry as another wave of pain wracked through 6O. “She's more damaged than the scans showed I... 2B I need to shut her down and get her to a healer before it gets worse.” 2B bit her lip and quickly flashed her worried gaze between 6O and 9S before giving him a small, stiff nod.

“I... Operator, I'm so sorry... We're... It's gonna be ok. I'm so sorry.” She squeezed 6O's hand and 6O gave her a strained smile in return.

“Okay.” She mumbled. Her green eyes stared through 2B and slowly shut as 9S powered her down. 2B simply held her, unmoving for the next few moments until 9S softly placed his hand on her shoulder.

“2B... are you ok?”

“I fucked up.”

“2B you didn't know it would be this bad, you—”

“I could have waited just a few more hours but I didn't and I hurt her for it and I hurt her and I...” Her shoulders shook and she pressed her forehead against 6O's. “Why couldn't I just wait?”

“2B it's... you...” 9S started and stopped until he let out a small sigh and squeezed 2B's shoulder. “Come on 2B. Let's get her below deck to a Healer. It'll be ok.”

2B nodded silently and shakily stood up with the help of 9S. He guided her to the med bay, never releasing his grip on her until they laid 6O down in a corner cot. He pulled up a chair for 2B as a Healer rushed in to examine her new patient.

9S quickly filled the Healer in on his findings and they both quickly got to work. 2B sat silently beside them, never letting go of 6O's hand the entire time. All the while a thought clawed at the back of 9S' mind and he couldn't stop himself from flashing a glance at the doorway every once in a while.

“All right.” The Healer said, wiping her brow after finally replacing 6O's chest panel. “This is about as much as I can do with the equipment I have now.” She listed off every repair she did as 9S and 2B listened intently and Pod 153 recorded.

“But...” She paused. “I'm not sure what was causing the convulsions and pain you described. You said the pain was throughout her entire body?”

“Yeah, that's what it seemed, but I had to shut her down before confirming.”

“Huh. That's odd. Most of the damaged parts inside weren't connected to any nerves so the pain should have been minimal. We'll have to do a more thorough check when we get back to camp then. Until then, don't reactivate her. The nanomachines will fix the remaining damages on their own and it's best not to disturb her any more than we have to until we can diagnose whatever's causing her that pain.”

“Right.” 9S nodded. “Thank so so much.”

“Thank you.” 2B mumbled, not taking her eyes off 6O.

"Hey, it's my job." The Healer shrugged. "But you're welcome. Everything here is set so I'll be heading up top to check for any new arrivals." She gave a curt nod and slipped out the door, leaving 9S and 2B in silence with the unconscious 6O.

"Hey, 2B?" 9S murmured after a while.

“Mmm..?”

“Don't blame yourself for this. Not even the Healer could have predicted that would happen.”

“I shouldn't have made you activate her...” She mumbled.

“Y-you...”

“I hurt her. She was the only one I could confide in and be honest with when everything was falling apart and the first thing I do when I find her again is hurt her.” She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand and groaned.

9S wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. He hummed softly as tears began streaming down 2B's face

“It'll be ok 2B. It'll be ok. We'll get back to camp in a few hours and they'll figure out what's wrong and fix her up and then we can all go back to our flat and you can spend all the time you want catching up with her. I know she cares about you a whole lot and she'll understand that you were just so happy to see her again. So... don't be too hard on yourself for this, ok?”

2B sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I... Okay...” She leaned up against him and sighed. “Okay.”

9S gave her a soft kiss and the two sat together in silence for a long while. As much as 9S would have liked to simply sit there with her until their arrival, the same nagging thought from earlier made his legs twitch in anticipation.

“2B?” He murmured.

“Yeah?”

“Are you ok here? There's something I need to check.”

“...Yeah. I'll be ok.”

9S gave her another kiss and quietly slipped out of the room and hurried up the stairs. He squinted in the harsh sunlight and looked around until he spotted the android he was looking for.

“11S.” 9S said as he rushed over to him.

“Yeah Nines?” He sat up from his work of scraping tube worms and barnacles off of a waterlogged pod.

“Have you been running checks on any of the non-scanner models you've found?”

“Er... no.” He admitted. “I haven't bothered since they should all be empty.”

9S growled lightly. "Well, _apparently_ not all of them. 2B's operator, 6O... We found her alive and with at least some of her memories intact.”

“What? How?” He gasped, nearly dropping the pod.

"I have no idea. We had to shut her back down soon after reactivation so we couldn't get much information... 2B's with her in the med bay right now. There were some... complications so we need to wait until we get back to camp before we can find out anything new. Hopefully, a healer can get her up and running before 2B worries herself to death..." He glanced over to the entrance to the med bay, almost wishing to see 2B pop out of the door and run to his side again. "Er... anyway, we gotta run a check on the others, maybe she's not the only one."

“R-right. I can start from that side.” 11S jumped up and started heading down the line.

“Hey wait... did you happen to find a 21O model in any of them?”

“Well, I found a 21B... or D... or something model but—”

“Where!?!” 9S yelled, lurching towards 11S. His mind filled with a turbulent mix of hopes and worries as he nearly danced in place waiting for a response.

“Whoa there!” 11S jumped back. “She should be in...” His finger passed over the line of storage units until it stopped on one near the middle. “...That one.”

9S took off like a bullet, ignoring the sarcastic “you're welcome” coming from 11S. He nearly collided with the storage unit as a large wave jostled the ship but caught himself on the edge just in time.

He pried the heavy door open and his jaw nearly dropped when the light illuminated the android inside. 11S was right, she was definitely a 21 model who looked strikingly similar to his operator. The only difference was that she wore a standard battler's uniform and visor rather than her traditional operator clothes and veil.

He stared a moment, unable to move as his gut twisted and body tensed. He had no idea what to expect. What if 6O was the only one to save herself? What if she saved the others but they were all still infected? What if 21O didn't survive the fall? What if deploying to the field before the Bunker fell was her attempt at escaping? What if that was her only backup? What if he could have saved her before A2 came along in the God Box and... what if he lost his only chance?

He closed his eyes and his mind replayed broken snippets of corrupted speech...

 

_A f-family... to be with..._

_Pl...ease...kill..._

_I... just wanted a family..._

_I was so lone...ly..._

_I wanted to be... with 9S..._

 

A family... A thing so many androids were programmed to crave but were never able to create. Thinking back on it, 21O's strange requests for pictures of children's shoes and coloring books and the way she almost treated him like a child before everything went to Hell made a lot more sense.

21O wasn't cold because she hated him... she was cold for the exact same reason 2B was... His reclaimed memories showed him a glimpse of a much softer, kinder 21O before the pain and guilt of letting him die again and again made her close her heart off to the world.

9S' hand hovered over his holo-screen as he summoned the courage to run a scan on her systems.

_It's fine. She's in there. There's nothing to be worried about. Just run the damn scans._

He groaned and cursed at himself under his breath for the sudden wave of anxiety. He half expected 2B to reach around him and envelop him in a comforting embrace, but when that never came he slammed his fist on the edge of the storage unit and cursed at himself even more.

_I can do this one thing without her, she's just below deck. Just..._

9S punched the commands in to initiate the virus check. He held his breath as his pod took its sweet time scanning every last corner of her code and only when low-oxygen warnings began ringing in his head did he finally take a small gulp of air.

“Scan complete: No virus detected.”

No virus detected. 9S let out a stiff half-breath and quickly switched modes to damage assessment. He closed his eyes and evened his breathing before punching in the final commands. As his hand once again hovered over the start button, another wave of tension twisted his gut and nearly froze his hand in place.

_What are you so god damned afraid of 9S? Putting it off isn't going to change the outcome. Just do it._

He sighed and forced his finger down on the key. His pod whirred back to action as it extracted every bit of physical data from her systems. Multiple warnings began to pop up on the screen, all alerting him of minor cracks and disconnects caused by the impact. But everything was fixable... so far.

“Scan complete: Found: 131 issues of minor severity. 12 issues of moderate severity. 0 issues of major severity. I will log the damage report now.”

9S let out another stale breath and glanced back down in the box. So she's not infected... and not damaged beyond repair... Now all he had to do was find out if _she_ was in there.

“Scan complete: 34178 hours of personal data stored in memory region.”

“P-p-pod!” He squeaked, heart jumping to his throat. “I didn't comm— I... 34178 hours?”

“Affirmative.”

“That's... almost four years. That's...” He chewed his lip and studied her face.

_This really could be her... I just... have to activate her to make sure shes' not just some random 21 model but... I don't... I don't want to activate her if she'd just be in the same amount of pain as 6O... but..._

_Maybe if I just... look at some of her memories... to see if it's really her..._

_No... that's not right that's not right... they're not mine to look at but..._

_I can just... activate her for just a minute. Just to see if she recognizes me..._

“I don't... want to hurt her... but I need to know for sure.” He reached out to his holo-screen but his pod flew pulled away before he could touch it.

“9S. I propose that you should allow a designated Healer to repair the damages on this unit before attempting reactivation. This unit will likely experience moderate to severe pain throughout most of her body if you reactivate her now.”

“Pod... I...” 9S pulled his hand to his chest and looked at the ground. “You're right. Thank you for stopping me.”

“You are welcome, 9S.” Pod 153 replied, minimizing the holo-screen and flying back within range. 9S smiled weakly and patted it lightly on the side before turning back to the android in the storage unit.

“All right.” He breathed. “Let's get you fixed up.” He reached inside and began undoing the straps holding her in place until a small chip barely poking out from under her visor caught his eye.

“Huh?” He pulled it out and examined it in the sunlight. Was this... a message? Some data?

“Pod hold this for me... please.” He quickly pulled the android out of the container with renewed energy and hurried below deck as fast as the choppy sea would allow.

_It's her. It's her. There's no way it's not her._

He squeezed through the narrow door to find 2B diligently waiting by 6O's side. She had one hand gripped tightly around 6O's and was absentmindedly flipping through the journal with the other.

“Nines.” She hummed the moment she caught sight of him. “Is she...”

“I... I think so...” 9S nodded, doing his best to keep his voice steady. “I found data, a lot of it, but I can't confirm if it's _her_ data yet.” He laid her down on the cot nearest 6O and cozied back up next to 2B.

“But... I did find this.” 9S pulled out the chip and showed it to 2B. “It might have a clue about how they survived.”

“Play it.”

2B's pod floated up from its resting spot and took the chip. After a few seconds of static, a grainy image of 21O wearing her standard operator uniform flashed up on the screen. The static quickly cleared up but it was hard to tell where she was due to the overall darkness of the video.

 

> “Hello, my name is Operator 21O. If you're seeing this right now, that means the Bunker has fallen, or you've managed to crack my encryption. If it's the latter, please disregard this message. If it's the former, then by some freak miracle, you've managed to salvage the unit this video and my backup copy are stored in.
> 
> “I don't have much time to explain before I'm scheduled to undergo Type-B equipment transition, so I'll try to make this short. I have reason to suspect that the Bunker's servers are being infiltrated by machine lifeforms as I speak. If you're wondering why I didn't report this to command immediately, well... I have my reasons.
> 
> “I uploaded my personal data into a spare 21D model. Unfortunately, it seems as if all the models in this room have some sort of production defect rendering them unable to participate in the upcoming assault, but it's still better than not having any form of backup at all.
> 
> “I also uploaded the personal data of Operator 6O into a 6H unit. She is not aware of my suspicions or plans, so to punish her if I am found out would be unwise and unjust. Why I'm only uploading our data and not any of the other Operators? Well, besides the increased risk of discovery... I have my reasons.
> 
> “That said, our memories will only be intact up to approximately twelve hours before the defeat of the machine lifeform known as Adam. I would have liked to have backed up more, but the risk of infection was too great to attempt more.
> 
> “I've attached some data on the creation and maintenance of YoRHa units as well as a very brief timeline of the events happening after my backup's most recent memories. There wasn't much I could access, but if even one piece of information is useful, then I've done my job... Unless this actually turns out to be nothing and I have to explain this all to the maintenance crew why there's an encrypted chip inside this storage unit. But with everything that's been happening lately, it's a risk I'm willing to take.”
> 
> “Anyway, I must head back to my post. I just have one more request. If you ever run into the YoRHa unit known as 9S, please tell him... I'm sorry. As cold and disconnected as I acted towards him, I truly did enjoy being his Operator... And... no... never mind. Everything else I wish to say would be better said in person.
> 
> “21B out.”

 

9S and 2B stared at the blank screen for a long moment before either of them were able to speak. 9S' gaze didn't break from 21O's face, but 2B couldn't stop looking back and forth between them.

“Operator... It really is her.”

“She... saved 6O... out of everyone in the Bunker she chose her. She chose...” 2B turned to 21O and gingerly placed a hand on hers.

“I thought she was gone forever... I...” She took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

She brought 21O's hand to her forehead.

“Thank you.”

Her shoulders began to shake and her body trembled.

“Thank... you.”

Her voice cracked as tears began streaming down her face. She grabbed 6O's hand and pressed it up next to 21O's and let out a strained cry.

9S could feel his eyes welling up as her crying spread to him like a contagion. It wasn't long before he joined in, pressing his body against 2B's back and wrapping his hands around hers. The urge to pull all three of them into a hug was strong, but jostling them any more than necessary was a risky move. Instead, he pressed his face harder into 2B's neck and hoped that his relief would radiate outward into 2B and their Operators.

They continued crying for some time. The world around them was reduced to meaningless noise; they didn't even register the Healer enter the room and stare at them awkwardly before silently slipping back out. It was just the two of them and their Operators, alive, and safe, and heading to get the best possible care available.

2B was the first to settle back down; 9S continued crying silently into her shirt for a minute more while she hummed gently to him. He released his grip on 2B's hands and gave her space to turn and face him.

“Nines?”

“Yeah?”

“They're gonna be ok.”

“Yeah.”

“We can see them again soon.”

“Yeah.”

“Hah...hhah... I'm so glad...”

“Me too.”

Before they could continue, the loud footsteps of an approaching android broke their attention. An unknown Resistance member poked his head through the doorway and beckoned them both over.

“Oi, we need you up top, ship's almost in port and we need everyone on board to help unload the cargo.”

“Right, be up in a sec!” 9S replied. He turned to 2B and softly bumped his forehead against hers. “Ready to head up?”

“Mmm...” 2B nodded. “Just... let me first...” She gently placed 6O's arm back down and slipped her journal under her hands before running her fingers through her hair one more time.

“All right, let's go.”

And with that, the two gave their respective Operators one more quick check before heading out into the sunlight.


	19. Reactivation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Androids are safely back at the Resistance camp, now it's time to make sure everything will be ok.

“Operator? Operator can you hear me?”

[9S? ...Yes I can hear you.]

“Oh thank god... I was so worried, I...”

[9S, what's going on? Why am I in maintenance mode?]

“Hhahhahh... It's... a long story...”

 

As soon as the ship arrived back at the Flooded City, all of the rescued Androids were rushed to the medical bay where everyone with even a scrap of maintenance knowledge waited with anticipation.

The most experienced group immediately surrounded the severely injured Scanner and got to work carefully piecing him back together as best they could with the resources they had.

9S and Devola performed a thorough check of 21O... or 21D's systems, while 2B waited impatiently by 6O as Popola did the same. Nothing seriously abnormal was detected in either of them and bringing them out of emergency shutdown into general maintenance mode went smoother than they all expected... But neither of them could completely quell their growing apprehension as the reactivation countdown neared zero.

[Activate 6O first]. Said 21O before any of them could even bring up the question.

“O-ok.” Responded 9S. “We'll be able to reactivate you too pretty soon... We just need to make sure nothing's seriously wrong with her that needs immediate attention.”

[Understood].

"2B, 6O... are you ready?" He said as Popola gave an all-clear sign.

“[Yes, yes we are.]” They both said simultaneously.

“Ok.” He took a deep breath. “6O... reactivate.”

2B and 9S pressed together to watch as 6O's systems came back online. The first twitch of her finger nearly had them both jump out of their skin.

“6O, can you hear me?” 2B called out in what seemed like a combination of a yell and a whisper.

“Yes, 2B... I can... hear you.” She murmured. Her eyelids twitched and slowly opened until she trained her striking green eyes on 2B's already-teary face.

“H-how do you feel?”

“I feel... ok I guess?”

“No pain?”

“No... wait... a little.” She reached out to 2B but flinched and pulled away with a small grimace. 2B took one hand in hers and held it gently.

“Where? Where does it hurt?”

“Like... mostly in my joints... it feels like...” She paused and closed her eyes momentarily. “Like pins and needles.”

2B looked to 9S who was already consulting his Pod's scanner.

“Scanner show's some nerves around her joints are firing whenever she moves... It could just be some residual soreness from the impact but...” He turned and waved Devola over.

She came over and shooed 9S and 2B out of the way before taking 6O's hand and removing the paneling on her forearm and hand to get a better look. 9S' Pod flew in front of her to magnify the intricate wiring of 6O's arm as she poked and prodded around inside.

“Try making a fist.” She said and 6O obeyed. “Hm... keep flexing your hand in every way you can until I tell you to stop. Pod, record sound of 6O's hand and playback in fifteen seconds.”

The room was silent as 6O followed Devola's directions. They watched as the complex arrangement of wires and circuits and artificial musculature worked in unison to produce the many intricate movements of her hand.

“I think I can see the issue now.” She said after going over the recording and studying 6O's arm for the nth time. “It looks like there's a ridiculous amount of hairline cracks along her endo-frame. Whenever she moves it puts extra pressure on the nerves around her joints as well as pinching anything that shifts between the cracks. I suspect the drastic change in pressure after getting pulled to the surface was what caused the intense pain when she first woke up, but now that her body's adjusted to the surface pressure, sensitivity has evened out so it's only minor.”

2B bit her lip slightly and flinched. “Is it fixable though?”

“Well with what we have now... I'm not sure there's much we can do other than reduce her sensitivity settings and increase nanomachine production until they can fully repair them.”

“So, were these the defects 21O talked about in her message?” 9S questioned.

“It's most likely a mix of that and what I just said. I wouldn't send someone like this out into the field; she'd probably shatter from one punch from a small stubby. Speaking of which,” she turned back to 6O, “you definitely should not be running around in this body for a while. That shouldn't be too hard now that the war's over.”

“R-right.” She said as Devola input a bunch of commands into the Pod's terminal. 9S was mildly surprised a non-YoRHa android could figure out his Pod that quickly, but then again, the twins did seem to be full of surprises.

“How does this feel now?” She asked.

6O waved her arms and legs around cautiously, then picked up speed soon after. “Better. A lot better, actually.” She pinched herself on the arm. “It's kind of strange though. Like, _that_ didn't hurt either. I suppose it's just something to get used to?”

“Is it really safe to have her sensitivity down for that long though?” 2B asked.

“For the most part yes; she's not a combat unit so we don't have to be as careful with readjustments like that. As long as she stays away from any rigorous activity or sensory overloading situations it should be fine by the time everything's repaired.”

2B sighed softly. “I'm so glad... And Operator... I'm sorry, again, for activating you without thinking. I just... wanted to see you so bad.”

“Aw, don't be too hard on yourself, 2B.” 6O smiled. “I mean, honestly, if I was in your shoes I probably would have done the same thing.” She placed her hand on 2B's and looked into her eyes. “So forgive yourself, for me? Pretty please?”

2B suppressed a snort as she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. “How can I say no to that?”

“You can't, don't even try.” 6O smirked. She paused and reached out to brush the hair from 2B's face. “Your hair is so soft.”

“Can you still feel it?”

“Not really, I'm just remembering what it felt like before.”

_Like before?_ 9S thought and tilted his head slightly at the two. Before he could think further, 6O wrapped her hand around 2B's shoulder and pulled her into a hug. 2B squeaked in surprise as her Operator planted a solid kiss on her cheek and continued running a line of kisses down her neck as she choked out a stiff laugh. 9S felt his body stiffen and chest tighten at the sight as his mind was flooded with a thousand conflicting thoughts until...

“Wait Operator!” 2B gasped and pulled away slightly. “9S and I...” She flashed a nervous glance at him and caught the tension in his eyes. An apologetic look quickly replaced it as she pushed a bit further from 6O. Before she could continue, 9S pushed the tension down as best he could and relaxed himself.

_No. It's fine. 6O is incredibly important to 2B. They've known each other longer than I have. All this is is just relief that she's alive. She needs this right now._ A sly smile grew on his face as an idea popped into his head.

"Hey now 6O, you're not going to get far with that." He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. "Here, lemme show you where all her weak points are, but just keep it between you and me." 6O couldn't hold back a giggle as she looked back to 2B.

He turned to 2B and pounced, giving her rapid-fire kisses and soft nibbles behind her ear, causing her to burst out laughing and fall back onto the bed. 6O joined in not two seconds later on her other side. They kept kissing her and kissing her all over and didn't let up until she began gasping for breath with tears running down her face.

“I surrender!” She wheezed. “I surrender!” They both pulled back and waited for 2B to collect herself. She lay back and panted for a while with a huge smile plastered on her face before letting out a big sigh and wiping the tears from her eyes.

“You two...” Her voice trembled as her gaze shifted between them and with no warning, she threw herself on them, wrapping her arms around each of them and pulling them both in for a hug. They both returned the embrace and the three of them just sat there in the soft light of the room as 2B began crying her eyes out. “I'm so glad.”

“Nines.”

“Hmm?”

“6O?”

“Yeah?”

“You're both so important to me. I... those two weeks I was alone... trying to revive you, Nines. I was so alone and afraid... I really had nobody to turn to for help or comfort. And now... and now you're both here... and it feels... it feels almost as if a void in my chest I didn't even know I had has filled... I know it sounds cheesy.” She snorted and squeezed them harder. “But I'm just... I'm just so happy. My beloved Partner.” She kissed 9S softly on his forehead. “My beloved Operator.” She mirrored the kiss on 6O's forehead.

9S squeezed forward and planted a kiss directly on her lips, while 6O buried her face in the crook of her neck.

“I'm just so happy to see you this happy, 2B.” 6O smiled. “It seems like a lot has happened since we last were together.”

She nodded. “So much, so so much.”

6O raised her head and glanced over at 21O laying nearby still with the twins sitting awkwardly next to her.

“You're gonna have to fill me in on everything.”

“Of course I will.”

6O's gaze traveled on and fixated on the window, where the sparkling ocean spanned endlessly in all directions. Birds flew lazily over the water, calling out to each other in faint cries.

“We're really on Earth, aren't we?”

“Mhm.”

“And the war is really over?”

“Yeah.”

“And you're really you? Smiling and crying to me?”

“ _Operator._ ” She blushed.

“Sorry, it's just... kinda hard to take in all at once, you know?”

“I understand. We have all the time in the world to catch up now.”

“Yeah... and 2B?”

“Hm?”

“We should uh, probably activate 21O soon, shouldn't we?”

“Oh!” 2B and 9S's eyes blew wide open as they gasped and turned around in unison.

[Yes that would be nice]. 21O said on the screen. Despite the lack of sound, 9S could swear he could hear her impatient, no-nonsense voice chastising him.

“S-sorry, Operator, I didn't forget about you... I was just kinda wrapped up in the moment, is all.”

[It's fine. I can tell you needed that time to let go a bit].

“Heh... I can't really tell if that was sarcasm or not.” 9S laughed nervously.

[It wasn't, I promise].

“Really?”

[Yes].

“Wow. I mean, thank you. I mean... yeah let's get you activated already. 6O's all green it seems... well, for the most part.”

“I'll be fine.” 6O smiled. “It's still a pretty weird feeling... or lack of... but I want to... I want to see you again 21O. I mean... well you know what I mean.”

[Yes, that would be nice].

“Really?”

[Really].

6O jumped slightly in her seat and moved to get out of bed but Devola hissed and held out her hand at her.

“Hold on, you shouldn't be walking until we've gone through the wellness check.”

“Yes, do be careful; you've already moved quite a bit more than you should have after just being reactivated.”

“Right, sorry.” 6O blushed.

Devola's gaze softened. “Hey don't worry about it too much, I get how hard it is to hold back when you see a loved one alive after being apart for so long.” She leaned her head against Popola's shoulder momentarily as her sister ran her fingers through her silky, red hair.

“It's nice having more YoRHa units here.” Popola hummed. “You've all been so kind to us.” She turned back to 21O. “Anyway, are you ready to be reactivated?”

[Yes].

“All right, let's go.” She nodded.

9S and the twins crowded around his Operator as 2B and 6O waited silently nearby.

“Uh... Operator?” 9S said timidly.

“I can hear you.” She responded.

“Oh, uh. Good. H-how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”

She moved her fingers around and cracked her eyes open. “Negative. Just a bit... strange from being in this new body it seems.”

“Like how?”

“Hmm.” She thought. “It's hard to describe... Like I feel lighter, and heavier at the same time.”

"It's likely because you're a Defender now.” 9S explained. “Healers and Operators have similar specs, but Defenders, and Battlers too, are wildly different."

“I know that. I'm just giving you my observation.”

“Right, sorry.” He flinched.

21O averted her gaze for a short moment. “...No, it's ok. You were just trying to help.” She murmured.

“Yeah... Are you sure you're ok?”

“Yes, I'm fine. It's just... I'm having trouble adjusting to all this new information.”

“I am too.” 6O chimed in. “I still can't believe we're on Earth.”

“Yes, it really is unbelievable, isn't it.” She glanced at 6O who met her gaze momentarily before looking back to 2B.

“Anyway,” 21O continued, “shall we begin the wellness check?”

“Oh, right. I guess you don't seem to have any immediate issues to deal with, so let's get started then.” He pulled up the checklist on his scanner and turned to 2B and 6O. “You two ready too?”

“Mhm.” They both nodded as 2B grabbed the same checklist on her own Pod.

“Right,” he nodded, “first off, can you touch your fingers to your thumb like this?”

 

Time flew by as 2B and 9S guided their Operators through their wellness checks... well... at least 9S did. At some point in time, it seemed that catching up on current events had pulled 2B and 6O's attention away from the task at hand in favor of talking at an almost dizzying pace. Her pod sat neglected beside them with only a few things checked off the list. Every once in a while it would beep out a reminder seemingly by it's own decision rather than something automated, almost as if it were chastising them for taking so long. The two would jump in response and get back to work for a short while before getting distracted again and 042 would flop on its side almost dramatically.

9S and 21O, on the other hand, went through their own checks relatively silently save for relevant questions and affirmations from the both of them. Things seemed to go relatively smoothly from the start; it didn't seem to do much to calm his need to double and triple check everything before moving on to the next task.

He did notice some slight abnormalities, however, in what seemed to be her motor functions; every once in a while a muscle would just not respond to her inputs. A finger would stay straight when the others bent, her mouth would stay closed for a split second longer than she anticipated. He couldn't quite pick out a pattern in these happenings so he called over the twins for a second opinion.

“It seems like there's some malfunction in her motor-cortex.” Popola observed.

“Yeah, that's what I suspected.” 9S responded. “Could it be the same issue that 6O's having?”

“We won't know for sure until we take a look at it.” Devola shrugged. She shimmied her way behind 21O and unhooked the panel on the back of her head and set it aside. The big patch of hair and artificial skin resting on the bed was a little unnerving to 9S, but he pushed that down in favor of readying his Pod's magnifying and recording features for Devola.

“All right, you're going to have to repeat the same motions over again until the error happens again. Keep touching your thumb to all your fingers on your right hand, and clench and unclench your left.”

21O obeyed, and for the next three or four minutes, everything seemed to be working smoothly until one of her fingers randomly froze and refused to budge until she shook her entire hand.

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure It's the same type of issue that 6O's experiencing. There's hairline cracks along her entire motor-cortex.”

“It seems like it's the result of a rushed assembly.” Popola observed.

“Most likely.” Devola nodded, placing the panel back on 21O's head. “There's not much we can do about this either besides wait. It's possible to just replace the whole thing if there's a functioning motor-cortex in any of the salvaged androids, but it's highly likely this one will break irreparably when removing it and we'd be down one valuable replacement. So... it's up to you what you wanna do about it. Either wait a few weeks for your nanomachines to fully repair it, or risk losing a piece of valuable equipment because you want to walk right now.”

“It sounds like you've made her decision for her.” 9S snorted.

“I'll survive.” 21O sighed. “It's fairly minor, comparatively.”

Devola nodded and headed back to her post. “Was that all you needed?”

“For now, I think so.” 9S said and turned back to his Operator. “Well... We're almost done with the checks. Might as well just continue on to make sure there's nothing else wrong.”

“Right.”

They continued on for a little while longer; 9S tried a bit harder to engage in small-talk, but it was a challenge with 21O still acting like her old self.

“Uh... sorry for kinda breaking down on you earlier heh...” He said out of nowhere. “I thought I could keep it together better than that.”

“It's understandable... after all that's happened.”

“Yeah...” He sighed. “But hey, it's over and you're back and alive and well... er... mostly. That's more than I ever dared to hope would happen.”

21O nodded slowly. “So, the Bunker's really gone?”

9S flinched. “Yeah...”

“And I'm the one who saved her and my data in these bodies?” She murmured, glancing back at 6O.

“That's what you said in the recording.”

“I see.” She looked down at her hands and slowly stretched her fingers. “I suppose I should tell her...” She mumbled almost inaudibly.

“Huh?”

“Er... nothing. Let's get back to work.”

“Oh... okay.” 9S turned back to his screen. “I think all that's left requires standing. Can you do that?”

21O nodded and carefully rose to her feet. She swayed a bit but quickly steadied herself. 9S stood up and waited close by with his arms at the ready.

“Good. Now take a small step forward.”

She slid her foot forward and touched down with a slight wobble. 9S held his hands out toward her, his nerves giving him a slight tremble in his arms.

“Okay, again.”

She slid her other foot forward but the moment she put weight on it, her body leaned to the side until her other foot gave way beneath her.

“Shit!” They both yelled and 9S jumped out and grabbed her before she hit the floor completely. 2B and 6O immediately stopped talking as their heads snapped in their directions.

“Are you ok?!” 9S gasped.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” She sighed and pushed herself back to her feet.

Out of the corner of his eye, 9S caught a glimpse of 6O opening and closing her mouth a few times, before stopping and turning back to 2B. They resumed their check quietly as 9S helped 21O try to continue walking.

“6O.” 21O turned to the other Operator after a few minutes of near-silence.

“Yes?” She squeaked.

“Don't stop talking. I was learning a lot from your conversation with 2B.”

“Really? It wasn't bothering you?”

21O tensed slightly. “It... never really did bother me. Your talking...” She responded quietly.

“Really? But... then... why did you..?”

“...I wanted to focus on my job. I didn't want to get distracted by other people so I tried my best to keep all my interactions professional. But now... I don't have to do that anymore, do I? I don't have to keep acting like this.” She timidly looked 6O in the eyes. “I'm sorry. To you...” She turned to 9S. “And to you... I... I couldn't...” She glanced at 2B with a questioning look.

2B nodded slightly. “He knows. He knows everything.”

“Yeah, she told me all she knows... and let me see into her memories... She helped me get my own memories back... well... most of them.”

“You did?” She gasped. “How?”

“We're not quite sure exactly.” 2B said. “Just... showing him my memories of us together started to trigger his own memories to come back... and then one day most of the others rushed back at once.”

“It might have been something past me did but don't remember.” He turned to 2B and smiled sheepishly. “Or maybe your love for me was so powerful that it went back in time and saved them for me.”

"Niiines." 2B blushed. 9S' grin turned into a sly smile as she began to laugh softly.

“I see.” 21O said. “You know everything and yet... you're still here. You're not at all angry for what we put you through?” 2B's eyes dimmed and she shifted her gaze away from 21O.

“No, of course not. None of you wanted to do this, none of you had a choice. I can't be upset with any of you for this... It's fine... really.”

“How can it be fine?” She almost snapped. “After the way we treated you? And what we took from you? Even 6O was...” She cut herself off with a gasp and averted her gaze to the spotless floor.

“All three of us were at least somewhat responsible for what you had to go through.” 6O continued quietly. “We all knew what 2B had to do... and none of us stopped it... none of us _could_ stop it. The most I could do was offer support to 2B whenever she had to... you know...”

“I tried whatever I could to discourage you from digging too deep into anything...” 21O murmured. “But nothing worked. So after a while I just... closed myself off to you, I pushed you away, I didn't want to form a bond with someone I had to watch die over and over again. And even now... I still don't know if that was the right thing to do...”

“We both were sitting up in the comfort of the Bunker watching you two go through hell and back on the surface. I mean, I told you before, 2B, how the Commander was always more lenient with us Operators than she was with you.”

“It wasn't fair you had to go through all of that. I wanted so badly to finally go to the surface and fight alongside you and protect you for once... I mean, I guess I did eventually... I didn't actually think I'd ever go through with it...” She began to fumble with her gown as her voice grew more frantic. “Even though I don't remember it... and I guess it only ended up making things so much worse for you... And I—”

“Whoa, whoa, easy!” 9S stammered. “This conversation is getting a bit too heavy for our reunion, isn't it? We can at least hold off until we're done with your system checks and get settled in, right?”

“Right, sorry.” 6O nodded sheepishly.

“Yes, you're probably right, 9S.” Murmured 21O.

“There's just... so much we need to talk about it seems.” 6O continued. “It's hard to know where to start.”

“I get that.” 9S nodded. “There's so much I want to talk to all of you about... but we have all the time in the world now to do it later; no one's going anywhere anymore... so let's... let this day be happy.”

“Understood.”

“Operatooorrr.” 9S teased. “Ease up on the formality will ya?”

“Oh, right...” She paused and pushed a smile onto her face. “That's a good idea, let's finish this up already and you can give us a tour of Earth.” She said in an almost uncomfortably happy tone.

“Y-yeah, let's.” 


End file.
